Cupid with a Butterfly

By 1888 the painters we now put at the centre of the story, the Impressionists and men like Van Gogh, were already at work, and the smooth, polished manner Bouguereau practised was being called old-fashioned by younger critics. None of that dented his success. He was one of the most sought-after painters in France, especially among wealthy American collectors, and he kept turning out flawless mythological figures like this one. Cupid, the boy god of love, pauses to lift a yellow butterfly that has settled on his arm. The butterfly was an old emblem of the human soul, Psyche, whom Cupid loved, so the pairing carries a quiet second meaning. He built the skin from brushstrokes so fine they leave no visible mark.