Psyche Abandoned at The Louvre, Paris

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The Forgotten Soul is a captivating marble sculpture created by Augustin Pajou (Paris, 1730 - Paris, 1809) that was finally completed in 1790. The statue was originally commissioned for the Royal Buildings in 1783 to serve as a stunning piece of art that would complement Edmé Bouchardon's "Cupid Cutting His Bow from Hercule's Club," also featured on the Scan The World archive. The plaster model of The Forgotten Soul was first displayed at the Salon in 1785, but its striking nudity and Psyche's heart-wrenching face caused a huge scandal, forcing the artwork to be removed from the building. From then on, the sculpture was stored away in a sculptor's workshop and all but forgotten. The poignant piece is a retelling of the classic story of Psyche and Cupid found in Aupleius' Metamorphoses book. Psyche's desperate quest to win back Cupid's love after losing him first appears in Lucius Apuleius' "The Golden Ass" over two thousand years ago. This beautiful princess was so lovely that the goddess Venus became jealous, sparking a vengeful plot. In revenge, she ordered her son Cupid to make Psyche fall deeply in love with a repulsive creature; but instead, he fell head over heels for her himself. As an unseen husband, Cupid would sneak into Psyche's life at night, only to vanish before dawn. When Psyche disobeyed his one condition not to look at him, she lost him forever. Determined to win him back, she embarked on a series of grueling and heart-wrenching tasks set by Venus in the hopes of winning Cupid's love once more. Eventually, Cupid could no longer bear to witness her suffering or be apart from her and pleaded their case to the gods. With their help, Psyche became an immortal, and the star-crossed lovers were finally married in heaven.