Psyche's Entrance into Cupid's Palace [left fragment], from The Story of Psyche
1756/63
![Psyche's Entrance into Cupid's Palace [left fragment], from The Story of Psyche by François Boucher](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/aic/thumb/psyches-entrance-into-cupids-palace-left-fragment-aic-49222.webp)
Medium
Wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave
Dimensions
172.8 × 341.5 cm (68 × 134 3/8 in.)
Classification
weaving - tapestry
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
49222
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Once the left and right parts of a larger hanging from a Story of Psyche series, these two tapestries portray the musicians and serving maids who welcomed the mortal Psyche, a beautiful young virgin, upon her chance arrival at the palace of the god Cupid. According to the version of the ancient Roman fable recorded in Lucius Apuleius’s second-century book The Golden Ass, Cupid and Psyche fell in love. The god visited her only at night so she would not learn his divine identity. One night Psyche ...
About the Artist
François Boucher · 1703–1770
François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...