Psyche and Amor

Antonio Canova (1757-1822)

VENUS, jealous of Psyche's beauty, ordered her son Cupid, god of love, to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man in the world. Instead, he fell in love with her, and spirited her away to a secluded palace where he visited her only at night, unseen and unrecognized by her. He forbade her to ever look upon his face, but one night while he was asleep she lit a lamp and looked at him. Cupid then abandoned her and she was left to wander the world, in misery, searching for him. Finally Cupid repented and had Jupiter make her immortal so they could be together forever.