Psyche and Cupid
1765-67
Neoclassicism was gaining a foothold in the European porcelain factories by the mid-1760s, when Johann Christian Wilhelm Beyer modeled the figural groups showing Psyche revived by Cupid's kiss and Venus with Adonis. Proponents of neoclassicism expressed their distaste for frivolous porcelain figures in the rococo style, but supported the use of antique statues as appropriate models for porcelain figures. That was the stricture followed by Beyer when he modeled these classical figures. Rather than what they viewed as amoral portrayals of the gods and goddesses during the rococo period, the proponents of neoclassicism focused on graceful representations of the Olympians as depictions of physical beauty.
Hard paste porcelain
14 x 6 in. (35.56 x 15.24 cm)
Gift of Martha and Henry Isaacson
76.89
Provenance: Collection of Mr and Mrs Henry and Martha Isaacson, unknown purchase date until 1976; gift from Mr and Mrs Henry and Martha Isaacson to Seattle Art Museum, Washington, 1976
Photo: Paul Macapia