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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileMercury stands on the right, identifiable by his winged petasos, as he presents a shallow vessel to Psyche. Psyche, draped in classical robes, reaches for the cup while a small, winged Cupid clings to her leg and gazes up at the figures. This scene, characterized by soft tonal shading and graceful contours, depicts the moment Psyche is welcomed into the assembly of the gods.
The story of Cupid and Psyche served as a primary Neoplatonic allegory for the soul's (Psyche's) journey, trials, and ultimate return to the divine. In this context, Mercury acts as the divine messenger and psychopomp who facilitates the soul's transition from the mortal to the immortal realm.
Apuleius
The 'Golden Ass' by Apuleius provides the narrative source for the myth of Psyche and her reception of the cup of ambrosia.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's Neoplatonic philosophy famously interpreted the myth of Psyche as an allegory for the purification and ascent of the human soul.
Object
Oil on panel
mythological
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/63/collection/853967/mercury-offering-the-cup-of-immortality-to-psyche
1676 × 2000 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.