The Wedding of Cupid and Psyche (right panel)

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 large-scale engraving (16 1/4 × 22 9/16 in.), this work exemplifies the medium's revolutionary role in disseminating elaborate designs to a wider audience beyond elite patrons. Franco and Romano's intricate line work blends Raphael's graceful figures with Mannerist exaggeration, showcasing dynamic poses and rich details that would inspire printmakers across Europe. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it reflects the era's fascination with classical stories, blending eroticism, triumph, and divine spectacle for both scholarly delight and popular wonder.

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...