The Feast of the Gods at the Marriage of Cupid and Psyche

Bartholomeus Spranger|Hendrick Goltzius

1587 · Engraving printed from three plates; second state · Drawings and Prints

Comprising about seventy figures and printed from three engraved plates, this print was the largest and most famous of the Haarlem engraver's collaborations with Bartholomeus Spranger, court painter to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. The daring composition—a bravura display of elegant twisting and turning figures—was of great importance in disseminating Spranger's Mannerist aesthetic and Goltzius's virtuoso engraving style throughout Europe. As is typical of Mannerist works, the main subjects of the scene are placed in the background: the small figures of Cupid with large wings and his bride, Psyche, the mortal beauty who is being admitted to the ranks of the gods, are at the head of the table in the center. The wedding guests surround the couple; Bacchus pours the drinks, while Apollo and the Muses serenade the company. The drawing for the print is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Artist

Bartholomeus Spranger|Hendrick Goltzius

Date

1587

Medium

Engraving printed from three plates; second state

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, Martha Feltenstein Gift, and A. Hyatt Mayor Purchase Fund, Marjorie Phelps Starr Bequest, 2000