Statue of Cupid and Psyche
Place found:
Culture: Roman
Date: ca. 117-138 A.D.
Medium: Marble
Dimensions:
height: 43 3/16 in. (109.7 cm)
width: 25 in. (63.5 cm)
depth: 21 7/8 in. (55.5 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Gilbert M. Denman, Jr.
Object number: 86.134.118
Provenance: excavated by Gavin Hamilton (1723-1798) at Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, 1769; sold by Gavin Hamilton to William Petty-Fitzmaurice, second earl of Shelburne, first marquess of Lansdowne, (1737-1805), London, 1771; acquired from the estate of William Petty-Fitzmaurice by John Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, second marquess of Lansdowne (1765-1809), London; by inheritance to Mary Arabella Petty, marchioness of Lansdowne (d. 1833) London, 1809; sold by Mary Arabella Petty to Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, third marquess of Lansdown (1780-1863), London, 1810; by inheritance to Henry Thomas Petty Fitzmaurice, fourth marquess of Lansdowne (1816-1866), London, 1863; by inheritance to Henry Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, fifth marquess of Lansdowne (1845-1927), London, 1866; by inheritance to Henry William Edmund Petty-Fitzmaurice, sixth marquess of Lansdowne (1872-1936) Wiltshire, 1927; Christie's, London, March 5, 1930, lot 29 (unsold); by inheritance to Charles Hope Petty-Fitzmaurice, seventh marquess of Lansdowne (1917-1944), Wiltshire, 1936; by inheritance to George John Charles Mercer Nairne Petty-Fitzmaurice, eighth marquess of Lansdowne (1912-1999), Wiltshire, 1944; sold, Sotheby's, London, December 4, 1972, lot 117 to Gilbert M. Denman, Jr. (1921-2004), San Antonio; Gilbert M. Denman, Jr., by gift to San Antonio Museum of Art, 1986
Label Text
Cupid, the son of Venus, was the Roman god associated with love, desire, and sexuality. Here he embraces his consort, Psyche. This statue once decorated the villa of the emperor Hadrian near Tivoli, east of Rome, and was discovered by the Scottish antiquarian and art dealer Gavin Hamilton in 1769. The statue was extensively restored after its discovery. Hamilton sold it for £300 to the Marquess of Lansdowne for his collection in London. This statue was displayed in the sculpture gallery in Lansdowne House along with the Marcus Aurelius that is also now in SAMA’s collection. (Jessica Powers, 2008)
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
