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About This Work
A celestial assembly of gods sits atop clouds within a frame designed to resemble a stretched tapestry bordered by heavy fruit garlands. Jupiter, identified by his eagle, presides over the gathering while Mercury, holding his caduceus, offers a vessel to the mortal Psyche on the left. The scene is crowded with figures including Neptune with his trident, Juno with her peacock, and Venus observing the transition of her rival to divinity.
The story of Cupid and Psyche, derived from Apuleius, was a major Neoplatonic allegory for the human soul's (Psyche) purification through earthly trials and its eventual return to the divine. This cycle reflects the Renaissance philosophical project of interpreting classical myths as veiled truths concerning the nature of the soul and divine love.