Tenderness, yearning, passion and the exultation of desire fulfilled are all conveyed in the emotionally charged marble sculpture, “Cupid and Psyche, 1796” by Antonio Canova. From Italy, Canova (1757 – 1822) was the most successful and influential sculptor of the Neoclassical movement. The legend of the two lovers in his piece is based upon a story from the 2nd century, in which the immortal Cupid revives the dying Psyche with a kiss. The 5-foot-high statue of their ecstatic embrace was aligned with the fashion of that era and a renewed interest in Antiquity. It is now displayed in Paris’ Louvre.

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