The Festival of Psyche, with Mercury from a set of Mythological Subjects after Giulio Romano
Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins|Jean Jans the Younger|Giulio Romano|Antoine Coypel|René Antoine Houasse|Louis XIV, King of France|Jean-Baptiste Corneille|Jean Lefebvre the Elder
designed 1684–86, woven 1689–92 · Wool, silk, metal thread (20-26 warps per inch, 8-12 per cm.) · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
In a gently wooded landscape, mythological figures gather. Together with the contiguous scene in the tapestry the Festival of Psyche with Bacchus (53.225.9), the composition broadens to include a glorious credenza display of gilded plate with precious textiles, in a scene traditionally identified as depicting preparations for the wedding feast of Cupid and Psyche. This tapestry is from a set of eight, traditionally called Les Sujets de la Fable. The designs for all eight tapestries are based in part upon drawings then in Louis XIV's collection- now preserved in the Louvre- which were all, at that time, attributed to Giulio Romano. Four of the tapestries in this series- all of which are part of The Met’s collection- ultimately take as their inspiration frescos by Giulio Romano and his assistants in the Palazzo Te, Mantua. The design source of this tapestry is Giulio’s fresco depicting preparations for Cupid and Psyche’s wedding, painted in the Palazzo’s sala di Psiche.
- Artist
- Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins|Jean Jans the Younger|Giulio Romano|Antoine Coypel|René Antoine Houasse|Louis XIV, King of France|Jean-Baptiste Corneille|Jean Lefebvre the Elder
- Date
- designed 1684–86, woven 1689–92
- Medium
- Wool, silk, metal thread (20-26 warps per inch, 8-12 per cm.)
- Culture
- French, Paris
- Department
- European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
- Credit line
- Gift of Julia A. Berwind, 1953
