648 - A tapestry depicting Venus punishing Psyche

A tapestry depicting Venus punishing Psyche Wool and silk weaving, backed in cotton. Narrative composition depicting scenes from the mythological tale. Psyche in the foreground being chastised by the handmaidens of Venus and two other women; Venus above, reprimanding Cupid. In the background, a grisaille with two further scenes alluding to the perilous tasks of Psyche. Without borders; a closed vertical cut through the centre. Last restoration and cleaning in 1996. Height 246, width 301 cm. Attributed to Brussels, first half 17th C. The story of Cupid and Psyche by the Roman author Lucius Apuleius is one of the most popular subjects of the Renaissance. It tells the tale of Psyche, a mortal king’s daughter whose beauty is so great that people begin to worship her instead of Venus. Enraged, Venus instructs her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a demon. However, Cupid himself succumbs to Psyche’s beauty. When Venus discovers their love affair, she punishes the couple and devises several perilous tasks for Psyche to complete. The tapestry belongs to a series based on well-known designs by Michiel Coxcie (1499 - 1592), which were disseminated through the work of prominent engravers. Further tapestries depicting this subject can be found, for example, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (accession number T.771-1950), the Petit Palais in Paris (inventory number OTUCK19), and Vassar College in the United States. Provenance Binoche Auction "Collection Comtesse Greffulhe" on 6th March 2000, lot 119.