Description

One of four (of an original series of 12) hand-colored prints of mythological scenes.

F.C. 10192.

“VENERE RICEVE L' ACQUA DELLO STIGE DA PSICHE; GIOVE ACCAREZZA CUPIDO”

Left inscription: “Ab Inferis rediens Psyche divinæ formositas pyxidem auream Proserpine munus // Veneri reportat: Dea uero tam magni facinoris sucessu in admirationen uertitur”

Middle inscription: “Herculis quoque diuicti ponderosam clauam ferunt // pueri, qua fera monstra domuit, Harpia Hercules Labor.”

Right inscription: “Cupido sue met flame æstu consumptus de matre cum Magno lone conqueritur, // ac supplicat de Psyches nuptijs. Eum solatur Iupiter, ac perpressa // Cupidinis buccula, manuque ad os suum relata consaviat.”

Lower left: “Raphael Sanctius Urbinas inventor.”

Lower middle: “Typis ac Sumptibus Dominicis de Rubeis lo. Iacobi filij ac Haeredis. Romae ad templ. S.te Mariae de Pace cum Privil. Summi Pontificis et sup.perm. Anno 1693”

Lower right: “Nicolaus Dorigni delin. et Sculp. 8”

Additional Information

The Italian painter Rafael was commissioned to design and execute a series of frescos for the Villa Farnesina in Rome in 1518. One of these cycles, “The History of Cupid and Psyche”, filled the upper areas of the villa’s loggia. Raphael’s interpretation of the mythological story has been a popular subject of printed illustrations, allowing for the dissemination of the design beyond the walls of the palace. This object—a hand-colored and painted design over a printed engraving—is from a series of twelve plates (plus a frontispiece) made in 1693 by Nicolas Dorigny.