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12: Maurice Denis's decorative ensemble The Story of Psyche. Room 2


The Story of Psyche. Seventh Panel. Cupid Carries Psyche to the Heavens

1909

Denis, Maurice

The seventh panel. Cupid, aggrieved at his mother's malevolent attitude towards Psyche, addresses a plea for aid to Jupiter. Jupiter graciously permits Cupid to join himself in marriage to a mortal and orders him to bring Psyche to heaven.

In old age, Denis, sorting over his most significant works in his mind, mentioned the Morozov ensemble in his diary, describing the period when it was produced as a time of "ease and formula". The Story of Psyche series does indeed have a certain unconstrained feel about it. All the panels of the series are linked by the common scale of the figures, the shared plot and colour scheme. Denis was concerned to make the concert hall of the mansion on Prechistenka a true ensemble of different arts. Long sofas placed along the walls were produced to his designs, as were ceramic vases. Denis persuaded Morozov that there should be large bronze sculptures in the corners of the room. These were commissioned from Aristide Maillol. All four works - Pomona (Woman with Apples) (1910), Flora (Woman in a Tunic) (1911), Spring (Woman and Flowers) and Standing Nude (Summer) (both 1912) - are now in the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum.

 

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