The winged young man who has just landed on a rock where a girl lies unconscious, is the god Cupid – and can be recognized by his wings. The young girl’s name is Psyche. Cupid’s mother Venus, goddess of Beauty, demanded that Psyche bring back a flask from the Underworld containing "Imprisoned Treasure of Divine Beauty", and strictly forbid her to open it. However, the contents of the flask had secretly been replaced with "Sleep of Darkness", in stead of the beauty she had expected.
But Psyche’s curiosity got the better of her. She couldn't resist opening the flask. She breathed in the toxic fumes and fell into a deep sleep. Seeing her lying motionless, Cupid rushed to her and touched her gently with the tip of his arrow, to make sure she was still alive. This is the moment caught in this image.
Cupid lifts his beloved Psyche in a tender embrace, kissing her and slowly bringing her back to life.
Inspired by the original work by Antonio Canova, in this unique original canvas, Klibansky combines the sculpture of Cupid's Kiss with his Thought Painting style to create his own interpretation of this magical love story.