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Original fileThe Feast of the Gods at the Marriage of Cupid and Psyche
About This Work
A vast, multi-plate engraving depicting a crowded celestial banquet populated by highly muscular, stylized deities in dynamic poses. In the center, Cupid and Psyche embrace while being crowned, surrounded by figures like Mercury with his caduceus, a seated Hercules with a club, and Apollo playing a pipe organ. Below the heavenly scene, a panoramic landscape is visible, contrasting the terrestrial world with the divine celebration above.
This work is a primary example of Neoplatonic allegory in Renaissance art, explicitly identifying the marriage of Cupid and Psyche as the union of Divine Love and the human Soul (Anima). The Latin inscriptions interpret Psyche's trials and eventual apotheosis as the soul's journey toward spiritual perfection and reunion with the divine.