Maurice Denis's panels for The Story of Cupid and Psyche
Zephyr Transporting Psyche to the Island of Delight
Maurice Denis (1870-1943) was one of the original members of the Nabis group of self-styled artistic prophets, joining with
Pierre Bonnard, Xavier Ker Roussel, and Edouard Vuillard. The chief theoretician of the group, his "Manifesto of Symbolism"
(1890) insisted that whatever else a picture is, it is "essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a
certain order," an important precursor of abstract art, although he was far more interested in finding the divine in the
everyday. Many of his later works are devotional images.
Cupid in Flight is Stuck by the Beauty of Psyche, (first panel of the Story of Psyche, 1908)
(Larger view)
Zephyr Carries Psyche to the Island of Bliss, (Second panel, 1908)
Psyche Discovers that Her Secret Lover is Cupid
(third panel of the Story of Psyche, 1908)
(Larger view)
The Vengeance of Venus, Opening the Box of Dreams of the Underworld, Sinks into Sleep,
(Fourth panel, 1908)
In the Presence of the Gods, Jupiter Grants Psyche Immortality and Celebrates Her Marriage with
Cupid, (Fifth panel, 1908)
Psyche's Parents Abandon Her on the Summit of the Mountain, (Sixth panel, commissioned by Ivan
Morozov as an addition to the original five panels, 1909)
(Larger view)
Cupid Carries Psyche to Heaven (Seventh panel, commissioned by Ivan Morozov as an addition to
the original five panels, 1909)
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Images to Cupid and Psyche, in Fine Art and Illustration
