Psyche carried by Zephyrs

Psyche lifted by Zephyrs Marble figurative group made by the English sculptor John Gibson (1790–1866), who created in the Classicist style. From 1817 Gibson lived permanently in Rome, he was studying at the Academy of St Luke under Antonio Canova and worked in his studio. In his later artistic work, especially after Canova’s death (1822), he became close to Bertel Thorvaldsen. The theme of the sculpture – Psyche lifted by Zephyrs is based on the Greek myth of Psyche. The love story of Cupid and Psyche was one of the common topics represented in art. Famous for her beauty, Psyche aroused the envy of the goddess Venus, who instructed Cupid to make her fall in love with the ugliest of men. However, Cupid himself fell in love with Psyche and, in spite of Venus, moved her to his palace with a breath of wind. This very scene is depicted in John Gibson’s sculpture: two naked, twin young men with butterfly wings – the Zephyrs (gods of the west wind) are carrying a young woman – Psyche seated on their shoulders. The heads of the Zephyrs decorated with flower wreaths are raised upwards, they remain in eye contact with the goddess who has her head tilted downwards. The half-naked, skinny goddess has her legs shielded by a robe. Her face is idealised. The wavy hair is tied in a bun above the neck with a headband. The marble, cylindrical base of the sculpture is equipped with two metal handles for turning it. The sculpture kept in Łańcut should be dated after 1822. In that year Gibson developed a clay model of the sculptural group Psyche carried by Zephyrs. It was George Beaumont who commissioned a marble sculpture from him, which was then exhibited in 1827 in the Royal Academy in London. Apart from the marble replica of this work kept in Łańcut, there are two others (both signed): one commissioned in 1839 by Prince Torlonia for Rome (now in Galleria Corsini in Rome), the other – by Prince Alexander Nikolayevich (later Tsar of Russia), for St Petersburg (since 1926 in the Hermitage). Barbara Trojnar