Cupid Finding Psyche Asleep by a Fountain 1881

Edward Burne-Jones painted "Cupid Finding Psyche Asleep by a Fountain" during the Victorian era, a period marked by strict social norms and evolving gender roles. The painting depicts a scene from the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche, where Cupid discovers Psyche in a vulnerable state. The slumbering Psyche becomes a symbol of innocence and beauty, yet also of female passivity, a recurring trope in Victorian art. Cupid, with his dark wings and androgynous features, hovers protectively, suggesting both tenderness and a sense of foreboding. Burne-Jones, associated with the Aesthetic movement, often explored themes of love, longing, and mythology, which allowed him to subtly critique the rigid expectations placed on women at the time. In his art, we find reflections of a society grappling with questions of female agency, desire, and the constraints of social expectations. The scene allows us to reflect on the societal gaze and the power dynamics inherent in relationships, themes that continue to resonate today.