William Bouguereau, First Kiss (panel, detail)

Description

In Bouguereau's version, Cupid and Psyche are two children kissing. Cupid, just as tradition suggests, has beautiful feathered wings, while Psyche, to distinguish herself from her lover, has butterfly wings. The environment that surrounds them is composed only of many clouds, almost as if they were in Paradise or on the way to the Olympus of the Greek gods. The two little protagonists are happy and have no worries. They are portrayed while they are resting on a small dark blue cloth that breaks up the tones of paradise that surrounds them. These are the details that make this painting one of the most beautiful images of children kissing in the entire history of art.