The Marriage of Psyche and Celestrial Love 1844

John Gibson carved this relief sculpture, “The Marriage of Psyche and Celestial Love,” sometime in the 19th century. This Neoclassical artwork is a window onto the era’s fascination with ancient mythology, reimagined through a Victorian lens. Gibson, working in the wake of the Enlightenment, draws on the classical themes and forms to convey ideas about love and beauty. But these forms carry a particular charge during the nineteenth century, when institutions like the Royal Academy in London and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris dictated aesthetic standards. Gibson challenges the established norms through sensual imagery. Here, he makes a break from tradition through the intimate, somewhat erotic, embrace of Psyche and Celestial Love. To truly appreciate a work like this, the historian dives into the visual culture of the time, asking: What was considered beautiful? What role did institutions play in shaping artistic taste? Only then can we understand the complexities of artworks like this.