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Eros kisses Psyche

Date early 20th century (plaster cast), 2nd century AD, after a statue from the 3rd-2nd centuries BC (original)
Object type plaster cast
Medium, technique plaster
Dimensions

136 x 52 x 49 cm

Inventory number Ag.271
Collection Classical Antiquites - Plaster casts
On view Star Fortress (Komárom), Famous Sculptures from the Hellenistic Period (Third to First Centuries BC) and their Reception, Gallery IX

The statue evokes the decisive moment in the love story of the god Eros and Psyche, a mortal girl. Psyche is awakened by the kiss of the god, after she had fallen into a fatal slumber, like Sleeping Beauty in the fairy tale. In the end, she was accepted among the ranks of the Olympian gods. The young god is naked, the girl is wearing a mantle from her hips down. The statue was very popular in the neoclassical times that followed its discovery, resulting in a number of modern adaptations. It was also significantly reworked: the head of Eros is ancient, but it did not originally belong to the statue.

References

Hekler, Antal, Az antik gipszgyűjtemény I-II., Budapest, 1919-1920, 1923, no. no. 352.

This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.

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