Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss

The first secret lies in the revolutionary treatment of the stone. Canova spent weeks polishing the marble with pumice stone, then applied a substance of his own invention—likely a mixture of wax and rose water—to give the marble that slightly amber tint and transparency reminiscent of living flesh. This secret process, called "l'ultima mano," allowed him to eliminate the coldness of white marble. A fascinating technical secret concerns the balance of the sculpture. Although the work appears ethereally light, it weighs several tons. The point of contact between the two bodies is extremely small. To ensure the stability of Cupid's spread wings, Canova had to precisely calculate the center of gravity. Very discreet internal metal structures are hidden within the wings to prevent them from breaking under their own weight—a major engineering challenge for the time. There is a secret related to the initial commission. The work was commissioned by a British colonel, John Campbell, in 1787. However, after years of work, Campbell could not pay the balance. It was then that Joachim Murat, Marshal of the Empire and Napoleon's brother-in-law, bought the sculpture in 1800 for his home in Villiers-la-Garenne. This is how it eventually entered the Louvre collections following the confiscation of Murat's property. The secret of the rear view is often ignored. Most viewers admire the work from the front, but Canova designed this sculpture to be seen from all angles (circular perspective). At the back, one can discover a small perfume flask sculpted at Psyche's feet, a detail confirming the mythological episode of Proserpina's box. It is only by walking around the work that one understands the complexity of the interlacing limbs. Finally, Psyche's face is a secret of ideal beauty. Canova did not use a single model but synthesized the canons of ancient Greek statuary to create a "universal" face. However, art historians suggest that some features recall the faces of Napoleon's famous sisters, whom Canova frequented assidûment, thus blending the Greek ideal with the realities of the imperial court.