Psyche Emerged
DANIELLE GU
Major: Business and Art History
Genre/Medium: Acrylic Painting
About the work: “Psyche Emerged” is an acrylic painting that depicts Psyche, the Greek goddess of the soul and the namesake of the asteroid Psyche. Psyche was a well-known figure in Greek and Roman mythology, and she was born as a beautiful mortal woman before she eventually became immortal. One of the most notable myths involving Psyche was the tale of her love and marriage with Eros, also known as the Roman “Cupid.” Their love was immortalized by Italian artist Antonio Canova in a marble statue named “Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss” (Amore e Psiche). I drew a lot of inspiration from the delicate, yet dynamic pose selected by the sculptor and ultimately chose to partially replicate it in my own painting. I further referenced other paintings of Psyche and Eros like “The abduction of Psyche” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau to better understand her poses, clothing, and appearance.
While working on this project, I read a lot of the original text of “The Golden Ass,” a novel which tells the tale of Psyche and Eros. The multiple trials that Psyche is required to undergo before she achieves immortality and discovers Eros again truly reminded me of the perseverance of the multiple groups who collaborated on this mission. Thus, I tried to represent the beauty of their efforts in my portrait of the stunning Psyche.
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