Psyche Carried Off by the Zephrys by Jean-Baptiste Aubry-Lecomte

Psyche Carried Off by the Zephrys 1824

drawing, lithograph, print

drawing

neoclacissism

allegory

lithograph

print

charcoal drawing

romanticism

history-painting

nude

"Psyche Carried Off by the Zephyrs" is a 1824 print by Jean-Baptiste Aubry-Lecomte, a French artist born in 1758 who died the year prior to this print's creation. It depicts a scene from the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. Psyche is the central figure of the artwork, in a swooning state, being carried off by the zephyrs (wind gods) and two putti (winged cupids) towards the lover, Cupid. This print is located at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and its intricate details showcase the mastery of Aubry-Lecomte's Neoclassical style, echoing the beauty and grace of the ancient world.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Called the “prince of lithographers,” Hyacinthe Aubry-Lecomte was one of the leading practitioners of the new medium of lithography in Restoration Paris. He produced skillful prints after admired paintings by contemporary artists, including works by Anne-Louis Girodet (his teacher), François Gérard, and Pierre-Paul Prud’hon. This print is after Prud’hon celebrated work Psyche Carried Off by the Zephyrs. The composition was so successful, Prud’hon executed a number of autograph versions of the composition, both in painting and drawing, including a highly finished chalk drawing in Mia's collection (76.78). Aubry-Lecomte also capitalized on the great demand for this work by executing this print the year after Prud’hon’s death. A large version of the drawing, formerly in the Odiot collection, now in a Japanese private collection, was Aubry-Lecomte’s source for this lithograph. The subject is the ancient story of Cupid and Psyche. Psyche was left by her family on a mountaintop to marry a monstrous groom, but the kindly west winds, the Zephyrs, lifted her up and transported her to Cupid’s palace.