|
Pajou was in Rome from 1751 to 1756. The marble statue of Psyche signed and dated 1790, begun in 1783, was commissioned from the artist as a counterpart to a statue of Amor by Bouchardon. Inspired by a tale of Apuleius, it represents a nude Psyche, seated, at the moment when Eros has just left her. At her feet is the dagger; by her side the lamp with oil flowing out of it. The modelling is lively and the pose natural; the charm and sensitivity of Pajou's art are accompanied by a return to classical antiquity which is characteristic of his time.
|
