Psyche in a Faint at The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

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In his epic poem Metamorphoses, Roman writer Apuleius recounts a captivating tale of Cupid's all-consuming passion for Psyche, but Venus, his mother, grew increasingly jealous of the girl's ravishing beauty and relentlessly pursued her. Determined to put an end to Psyche's allure, Venus sent her into the Underworld on a perilous mission: to retrieve Proserpina's enchanted beauty ointment from its sacred flask, with strict orders never to open it. However, Psyche's insatiable curiosity ultimately got the better of her, and she reluctantly lifted the lid, instantly succumbing to a deep and profound sleep. As Apuleius' narrative took shape, renowned 19th-century Italian sculptor Tenerani sought to immortalize the poignant moment in his own work, striving to capture the precise pose of the body as it falls into a sudden and deep faint. Through numerous sketches, four of which remain in his workshop as testaments to his meticulous search for the perfect expression of movement, Tenerani aimed to convey the serene elegance and harmonious lines that are hallmarks of his masterful craftsmanship. The sculpture's breathtaking beauty, infused with Tenerani's signature attention to detail and devotion to his craft, has earned it widespread acclaim, inspiring the artist to recreate the figure at least seven times. This testament to Tenerani's skill and artistry is now part of "Scan The World," a groundbreaking initiative launched by MyMiniFactory, which aims to create a comprehensive digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for the public to access freely. Scan the World is an open-source community project that relies on the contributions of individuals who share their unique items and would like to be part of this global endeavor. If you have an interesting artifact or sculpture in your possession and wish to participate, simply email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can contribute to this remarkable initiative. This object was scanned using photogrammetry techniques and processed with Agisoft PhotoScan software.