Psyche before the Throne of Venus. Henrietta Rae (1859–1928), as reproduced in Fish, facing p. 74. Fish states that the painting is “in the possession of George McCulloch, Esq.”
The picture contains no fewer than fourteen figures, of which Venus and Psyche form the central interest. In her return to classic themes Mrs. Normand chose the prettiest of the myths for treatment. The story of Cupid and Psyche — with its beauty, pathos, and drama — is always fascinating, and has afforded “present-day interest” through all the ages. Psyche’s love and distrust of Cupid; her disobedience and loss of him; her wanderings in search of him, and the treatment of her by her rival Venus, constitute the most charming theme of Greek mythology and an allegory of life for all time. For the purposes of her picture Mrs. Normand had recourse to William Morris’s version of the story as recounted in his “Earthly Paradise.” Psyche with many sufferings has searched in vain for her love, and has come by evil chance upon the Court of Venus. Hidden by the trees she watches the maidens of the Court at their sports when —
From her lips unwitting came a moan,
She felt strong arms about her body thrown
And, blind with fear, was haled along till she
Saw floating by her faint eyes dizzily
That vision of the pearls and roses fresh,
The golden carpet and the rosy flesh.
Then, as in vain she strove to make some sound,
A sweet voice seemed to pierce the air around
With bitter words; her doom rang in her ears,
She felt the misery that lacketh tears.
“Come hither, damsels, and the pearl behold
That hath no price. See now the thrice-tried gold
That all men worshipped, that a god would have
To be his bride! how like a wretched slave
She cowers down, and lacketh even voice
To plead her cause! Come, damsels, and rejoice
That now once more the waiting world will move
Since she is found, the well-loved soul of Love.”
******
“Oh, thou fool, I will not let thee die;
But thou shalt reap the harvest thou hast sown
And many a day thy wretched lot bemoan.
Thou art my slave, and not a day shall be
But I will find some fitting task for thee.”
The picture was brought to town for “Show Sunday,” and among the many interested callers none was more interested than Leighton. He had seen its commencement, but after its removal to Norwood did not see it again until it was presented ready for exhibition. His praises were many, but to the artist’s great disappointment they were all discounted in her estimation by his final criticism “that it had a tendency to prettiness of which he could not approve.”
Colour reproduction courtesy of Heritage Auctions. 1894. Oil on canvas, 10 x 6 feet 4 inches. ["One individual image may be used to accompany any article that you write without our written consent, if not used for commercial purposes, and if credited to Heritage Auctions."]
Mr. George McCulloch, who had already practically purchased the picture, came in to see it immediately after Leighton had left, and hearing that the President had been, he asked Mrs. Normand what he had said of the picture. With the disappointment still keen within her she unthinkingly repeated the whole of Leighton’s criticism. This indiscretion came to Leighton’s ears, and the administration of a lecture to Mrs. Normand duly followed on the sanctity of friendly criticism between artists. For the avoidance of any misconception on the part of Mr. McCulloch, that might have arisen from his remarks upon the picture, Leighton at once wrote a letter, from which, by the courtesy of Mr. McCulloch, we are enabled to reproduce the following extract:
“Let me seize this opportunity of saying how sincerely pleased I am to hear that you have bought Mrs. Normand’s charming picture. Mrs. N. is full of talent, and a most enthusiastic artist — but she is given to self-depreciation (a very rare attribute) — and the purchase of so important an effort is a great and merited encouragement to her.”
The picture was given a “centre” at the Academy and was one of the chief features of the exhibition. The following appreciative remarks upon it by Mr. M. H. Spielmann appeared in the Magazine of Art: “Miss Henrietta Rae contributes a large canvas of ‘Psyche before the Throne of Venus’ which is very remarkable in its conception and execution. This elaborate composition, full without being crowded, graceful in the drawing of its figures, dainty in its appreciation of feminine beauty, delicate in its tones and tints, is a work we hardly expected from a woman. But we instinctively feel that the painter has never quite grasped the greatness of this scene of classic mythology — the figures, with all their charm, are not inhabitants of Olympos, but denizens of an ungodly earth.”
Of course, it could easily be urged in reply to the latter part of these remarks that the passions relative to these “inhabitants of Olympos” are so distinctly human that there cannot be very great error in representing their possessors in human form. Venus and Psyche were so undoubtedly feminine in character and disposition, the one in her queenly beauty and spiteful pleasantries and the other in her abject love and woe of heartbreak, that their portraiture as women seems a positive neces- sity for their proper representation. The following extract from the Daily News may serve as a typical example of the many other references in the press to the picture: “Mr. William Morris has made the legend the subject of a beautiful poem, and Mrs. Normand of an ambitious composition. It is a large canvas with many figures skilfully grouped, and the courage of the painter in attempting such a task has been justified by her success. She shows us the goddess seated on her classical golden throne, beautiful and unadorned, all her loveliness displayed, the draperies carelessly thrown over the seat set upon the throne of her temple. White Parian columns support its dome, and the steps of the cool marble pavement lead down to the rich growing grass of the enclosure. Her maidens are around her in groups, and no part of the picture is more successful than the treatment of these groups. The group to the left is especially happy in arrangement. Tall, graceful figures, their draperies pale blue and low-toned powdered purple, making such agreeable harmony with the full rose of the oleander blooms, assisted by a passage of orchid purple, where a piece of some over- garment rests on the marble steps; even the dove — not the white pigeon of the classic writers — finds excuse for its soft colour in the harmony of the whole scheme. The faces are beautiful, varied, and not too remote from the Greek ideal. But to the right of the throne, on the green sward, is another group of maidens, also picturesque, attendant on the goddess ; they, indeed, have some employment for their lazy loveliness. Poor Psyche, straying into the midst of all this beauty, and over- powered by it, as she well may be, has fallen prostrate at the very steps of the shrine; her arms just rest on the marble ledge, as if she dared not approach nearer. Venus con- templates her with the easy indifference of a goddess, and the maidens standing by her, picturesquely grouped, and not unconscious of their beauty in their clinging draperies of yellow and amber, and salmon red, have an interest in the penitent that is undisturbed by pity. In the background the turf stretches away under the shade of low growing trees; and a bronze door, dimly seen through the open, shows how Psyche gained her access to the shrine.”
The picture went to Liverpool from the Academy, and after the exhibition at the Dore Gallery, to which reference will presently be made, passed into the collection of Mr. McCulloch at Queen’s Gate. A large photogravure reproduction, published by Messrs. Tooth, served to make the picture still more widely known. [80-85]
Bibliography
Fish, Arthur. Henrietta Rae (Mrs. Ernest Normand). Cassell and Company, 1905.
[Colour reproduction of the painting:] Heritage Auctions. https://fineart.ha.com/itm/paintings/henrietta-rae-british-1859-1928-psyche-before-the-throne-of-venus-1894oil-on-canvas76-1-2-x-120-inches/a/5287-66042.s
Created 4 July 2020
Last modified 8 July 2024