The Wedding of Cupid and Psyche (right panel)
ca. 1530–61
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 16 1/4 × 22 9/16 in. (41.2 × 57.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.761
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the grand tradition of Renaissance mythology, *The Wedding of Cupid Psyche (right panel captures a joyous celestial celebration from Apuleius's ancient tale *The Golden Ass*. This engraving, created around 1530–61 by Venetian artist Battista Franco in collaboration with Giulio Romano—a Mannerist and Raphael's pupil—depicts divine union of the love god Cupid and mortal Psyche after her trials of devotion. Exotic elements like triumphant elephants and majestic lions fill the scene, symbolizing luxury, power, and the gods' opulent feast, evoking the lavish courts of 16th-century Italy. As a l...
About the Artist
Battista Franco|Giulio Romano · 1510–1561
Battista Franco, known as il Semolei, was born in Venice around 1510, though his career unfolded largely in Rome and at the courts of central and northern Italy. He came to Rome in his twenties and immediately fell under two powerful spells: the inexhaustible riches of classical antiquity and the overwhelming presence of Michelangelo. Franco spent years making drawings after ancient sculptures and...