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510181

Romantic Bronze Sculpture Cupid and Psyche

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:490.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
Romantic Bronze Sculpture Cupid and Psyche
Cupid and Psyche Bronze Sculpture, After Barye, 12 1/2"H x 12 1/2"W x8"D 24 lbs. This bronze sculpture was produced using the "Lost Wax" casting method. The"Lost Wax" Cast method is the most precise metal casting technique in existence, ensuring exquisite detail of the original host model which is usually sculpted in clay or wax. This "Lost Wax" casting method is an extremely labor intensive and expensive process, but the end results produce a Heirloom Quality Masterpiece!The legend of 'Cupid and Psyche' (also known as The Tale of Amour and Psyche and The Tale of Eros and Psyche) first appeared as a digressionary story told by an old woman in Lucius Apuleius' novel.Envious and jealous of the beauty of a mortal girl named Psyche, Venus asks her son Cupid (known to the Greeks as Eros) to use his golden arrows while Psyche sleeps, so that when she awakes, Venus (Aphrodite to the Greeks) would have already placed a vile creature for her to fall in love with. Cupid finally agrees to her commands after a long (and losing) debate. As he flies to Psyche's room at night, he turns himself invisible so no one can see him fly in through her window. He takes pity on her, for she was born too beautiful for her own safety. As he slowly approaches, careful not to make a sound, he readies one of his golden arrows. He leans over Psyche while she is asleep and before he can scratch her shoulder with the arrow, she awakens, startling him, for she looks right into his eyes, despite his invisibility. This causes him to scratch himself with his arrow, falling deeply in love with her. He cannot continue his mission, for every passing second he finds it more appalling. He reports back to Venus shortly later and this enrages her. Venus places a curse on Psyche that keeps her from meeting a suitable husband, or any husband at that. As she does this, it upsets Cupid greatly, and he decides that as long as the curse stays on Psyche, he will no longer shoot arrows, which will cause Venus' temple to fall.After months of no one - man or animal - falling in love, marrying, or mating, the Earth starts to grow old, which causes concern to Venus, for nobody praises her for Cupid's actions. Finally, she agrees to listen to Cupid's demands, according him one thing to have his own way. Cupid desires Psyche. Venus, upset, agrees to his demands only if he begins work immediately. He accepts the offer and takes off, shooting his golden arrows as fast as he can, restoring everything to the way it should be. People again fall in love and marry, animals far and wide mate, and the Earth begins to look young once more.Antoine-louis Barye (1796 - 1875) Originally trained as a goldsmith, Antoine-Louis Barye served in Napoleon's army before studying sculpture and painting. He entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1818 and adapted the romantic-style subject matter of violent and majestic animals. After his crocodile-like sculpture entitled Tiger Devouring a Gavail, won a medal at the Salon of 1831, Barye became a successful and independent sculptor and painter. His animal sculptures competed at the Salon alongside the more traditional and revered human figures. In 1845, Barye began a foundry that produced smaller and more affordable bronze statues. He was appointed the keeper of plaster casts at the Louvre and professor of zoological drawing at the Musee National d'Histoire Naturelle, both in Paris. Elected to the Academie in 1868, Barye inspired a later generation of animal sculptors who called themselves the animaliers.
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