Psyche's Bath - After Dufour Manufacture

Largepanoramic wallpaper depicting an episode from the life of Psyche, specificallythe central panel: Psyche at Her Bath. The original series of this famouswallpaper was produced by the Manufacture Dufour in 1815. Louis Lafitte(1770–1828) and Merry-Joseph Blondel (1781–1853) created thecomposition based on the work of François Gérard (1770–1837) and Pierre-Paul Prud’hon(1758–1823), who created the original model. The entire set was designed and engraved by XavierMader (1789–1830). The twelve panels depicting the story of Psyche are based onJean de La Fontaine’s novel *The Loves of Psyche and Cupid* (1669), which was itselfinspired by Apuleius’s tale *The Golden Ass* (2nd century). Our wallpaper is a reprint for interior designers, a photomechanical print from the 1950s.

In Greco-Roman mythology, Psyche was a mortal princess,so beautiful that men abandoned the temples of Venus to admire her.Venus, jealous, decided to punish her by ordering her son Cupid (Eros) tomake her fall in love with a monster. But Cupid, upon seeing her, fellin love with her. He carried her off to an invisible palace where he visited herevery night, without her ever seeing his face. Here, Psyche symbolizesblind love, trust, and the desire to know.  

Thisscene, titled “Psyche at the Bath,” depicts theprincess’s ritual purification, a symbolic prelude to hermystical union with Cupid. The scene, created by Gérard and Prudhon, embodies allthe neoclassical canons of the Empire style, with an elegant composition.

A beautiful,spectacular ensemble, ideal for complementing an early 19th-century decor.Superb.

Our wallpaperis in perfect condition; it consists of 4 panels, each 183 cm high by 53 cmwide, resulting in a total composition of approximately 210 by 183 cm.