Geneva, 1793. As Europe plunges into revolutionary turmoil, Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours chooses to paint triumphant love. On a small wooden panel, he captures the moment when Cupid, the winged god, finally reunites with Psyche after trying separations. Their bodies draw close in an ascending movement, as if suspended between earth and sky.
An Amorous Choreography Painted with Grace
Saint-Ours masters the art of dynamic composition. Psyche raises her arm in a confident gesture, while Cupid lifts her toward the clouds. Draperies swirl, accentuating the ascending movement. An antique column situates the scene in a classical setting. The luminous palette blends deep blues, pearlescent flesh tones, and delicate golds. Every detail testifies to a meticulous study of the human body. Two white doves, symbols of faithful love, complete this mythological iconography.
Genevan Neoclassicism at Its Peak
This oil on panel is part of the European neoclassical revival. Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours draws from Apuleius’s mythology to exalt universal feelings. Psyche, a mortal made immortal through love, embodies the transformation of the human soul. In the midst of the French Revolution, the artist chooses timeless themes rather than political current events. This work now belongs to LACMA, thanks to the gift of the Ahmanson Foundation; it comes from the prestigious Ciechanowiecki Collection.
Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours
A Genevan painter trained in Paris, Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours (1752-1809) became a major figure of Swiss Neoclassicism. He combined technical virtuosity and poetic sensibility, creating elegant compositions inspired by Antiquity.
Think about it
💭 And you, when have you felt this lightness of rediscovered love that lifts and transforms?
About This Work
- The Reunion of Cupid and Psyche, Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours, 1793
- Oil on panel, 35.24 × 40.01 cm
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
- https://collections.lacma.org/node/201898
