L'Amour et Psyché, enfants (Cupid and Psyche as Children)
Oil painting on canvas; horizontal format • William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Style & Movement
Academicism (19th-century French Academic Art)
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas using academical techniques including smooth glazing, fine sfumato for skin tones, and meticulous anatomical rendering
Creation Period
1890
Dimensions & Format
Original dimensions approximately 119.5 cm x 71 cm; landscape format (displayed here as a detail)
Subject Description
A portrayal of the mythological figures Cupid and Psyche as young children. Cupid, identifiable by his white wings, embraces a winged Psyche (with butterfly wings) against a cloud-filled sky and flowing purple drapery. The work explores themes of innocence, first love, and the union of the soul (Psyche) with love (Cupid).
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; the work is well-preserved and typically resides within a controlled museum environment
Estimated Market Value
$1,500,000 - $2,500,000
Auction Estimate
$1,200,000 - $2,000,000
Provenance History
Commissioned or sold via Goupil & Cie; currently in a private collection (long-term loan to the Musée d'Orsay)
Art Historical Significance
A quintessential example of Bouguereau's technical mastery and the late 19th-century French preference for idealized, sentimentalized mythological subjects. It is one of the artist's most popular and reproduced images.
Notable Features
Features Psyche with butterfly wings, symbolizing the human soul; notable for the 'Bouguereau finish'—the lack of visible brushstrokes on the skin tissues.
Condition Issues
Minor age-related craquelure in heavier impasto areas; potential slight yellowing of old varnish; generally stable
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain stable humidity (45-55%) and temperature; use UV-filtered lighting; periodic professional cleaning of surface dust