Cupid and Psyche 1821

Curator: Welcome. We are standing before William Etty's "Cupid and Psyche," an oil painting dating from 1821. Editor: The immediate impression is one of cloying sweetness, wouldn't you say? All this hazy golden light and intertwined flesh… Curator: From a formalist perspective, consider how Etty orchestrates the composition. The figures are nestled within a circle, softened by the surrounding cloudy background, but centrally located in the center of the picture. Editor: Yet, one must wonder at Etty's choice of subject matter. Romanticism was rife with artists who took the artistic license to reimagine ancient myths and the way these narratives legitimized existing gendered archetypes of the era, no? The myth of Cupid and Psyche, and the trials Psyche faced… were these romanticized portrayals offering a radical voice for women, or simply repackaging subordination in pretty pictures? Curator: Consider the delicate treatment of light and shadow. Notice how Etty uses it to sculpt their forms, adding depth and volume to their youthful bodies. He is particularly skillful with his command of color. The blues and pinks within the clouds create this sense of depth. The whole painting almost gives a three-dimensional affect. Editor: And think of this work’s context—Britain grappling with social upheaval. Were images like these purely escapist, or did they subtly challenge societal norms? Were audiences even aware? One might ask whether Etty, in his romantic, painterly excess, unwittingly exposed anxieties about desire, class, and power that his contemporaries may have glossed over or overtly pushed against in grand paintings. Curator: Etty masterfully employed chiaroscuro, emphasizing the beauty of the nude form through the dance of light and shadow. His use of a circular composition effectively traps the viewer within a realm of beauty and love. Editor: I leave with lingering questions. As beautiful as this painting is, does its elegance serve to obscure potentially more troubling aspects of how idealized gender roles have historically been presented? It warrants consideration.