Psyche showing her Sisters her Gifts from Cupid

In Cupid's golden palace, Psyche shows off her lover's gifts while envy hovers above her sisters, clutching snakes. Fragonard painted it at 21, as a student, and it was shown to Louis XV.

The story behind the painting

Fragonard painted this canvas in 1753, aged 21, while a student at the École des Élèves Protégés under Carle Vanloo. Students there had to prepare a work to present to the King at Versailles, and this was one of several shown to Louis XV in 1753. It was a great success, but its reputation fell for a time when it was attributed to Vanloo. In 1752 and 1753, before entering the school, Fragonard had studied with François Boucher, whose influence shows in some details. It now hangs in the National Gallery in London.

What to look for

Psyche sits at right in a white garment, surrounded by nymphs in Cupid's palace, showing her two sisters the gifts from her lover. Above the sisters floats a figure of their envy, sometimes identified as Eris, goddess of discord, holding snakes. Look for the luxuries: golden vases, a perfume burner, flowers, jewels and Cupid's quiver. One sister wears a pale lemon dress in acid tones that may signal her jealousy. The colour is most concentrated in the flowers at the foot of Psyche's throne, the area most clearly in focus, while the edges grow darker and softer.

Meaning and intent

The story of Cupid and Psyche comes from Apuleius's The Golden Ass, but Fragonard leaned more on Jean de La Fontaine's retelling of 1669. Cupid visited Psyche only at night and forbade her to look at him. The jealous sisters persuade her to discover who he is, to break the trust between the lovers. The darker, blurred edges of the canvas hint at the disasters to come. It has been noted that Psyche may be inspired by Madame de Pompadour, the King's chief mistress, which would have given the picture a pointed meaning at Versailles.

Legacy

The painting owes much to Boucher's 1737 tapestry design on the same story, yet it already shows Fragonard's own voice: more movement, sharper colour, and Boucher's rose and blue replaced by a gold and orange typical of Fragonard, an early sign of his personal palette. The canvas has also lost part of itself. It was cut down from its original form, losing around 26 cm at the top and 35 cm on the left, so some details are now missing. What remains measures about 168 by 192 cm.