Psyche in the Underworld
(Psyché aux enfers)
1865
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Measurements
- 117.0 × 90.0 cm
- Inscription
- inscribed in black paint l.l.: Ernest Hillemacher. 1865.
- Accession Number
- p.303.6-1
- Department
- International Painting
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Gustave Curcier Esq., 1872
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited - Gallery location
- 19th Century European Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International - About this work
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Hillemacher chose the mythological tale of Psyche’s venture into the Underworld for his Paris Salon painting of 1865. Although Psyche was a mere mortal, her beauty incurred the jealousy of the goddess Venus who set Psyche a series of ordeals, including forcing her into the Underworld to obtain a portion of Persephone’s beauty. Here Psyche is crossing the river Styx, after which she will encounter Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades who lurks on the right hand side of the painting. Cerberus guards the gates of Hades and allows the dead to enter, but never leave. Psyche knows to feed Cerberus a small cake in order to return to the surface.
- Subjects (general)
- Human Figures Religion and Mythology
- Subjects (specific)
- boats men (male humans) Psyche (Greek legendary princess) rivers robes (main garments) suffering underworld (doctrinal concept) women (female humans)
- Provenance
-
Exhibited Salon, Paris, 1865, no. 1047; collection of Gustave Curcier Esq. [1], of the wine importers Curcier & Adet, Melbourne, est. 1865, by 1872; by whom donated to the NGV, 1872[2].
[1] Curcier was born in France and emigrate to England in 1852.
[2] See ‘The new picture at the National Gallery’, in The Argus, Melbourne, Monday 29 January 1872, p. 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5859208.
Exhibited Salon, Paris, 1865, no. 1047
Colourmen
-
- Colourman
- DEFORGE-CARPENTIER
- Location of stamp
- Lower right quadrant of reverse of canvas
- Transcript
- ...DEFORGE CARPENTIER S../COULEURS FINES/ET TOILES a PEINDRE/Boulevard Montmartre 8/PARIS./Metier Bou...des Batignolles
- Medium
- Ink stencil
- More Information
-
National Portrait Gallery