The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 24, 2024

Psyche Throwing Herself into the River

Psyche Throwing Herself into the River

1865–68

workshop of William Morris

(British, 1834–1896)
(British, 1833–1898)
England, 19th century
wood engraving
to borderline: 10.5 x 8.2 cm (4 1/8 x 3 1/4 in.); Sheet: 13.2 x 11.8 cm (5 3/16 x 4 5/8 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1981.90
Location: not on view

Description

Psyche, a mortal, has been abandoned by her lover, the god Cupid, in this print. The young woman steps sobbing into a river as her hair flows behind her. This image is one of the few illustrations ultimately realized from an early collaboration between designer William Morris and artist Edward Burne-Jones. Centered on Morris’s retelling of ancient myths and legends, the project was abandoned after they had engraved the illustrations for one of the 24 stories because the pair was unable to find a suitable publisher. The experience ultimately led Morris to establish his own firm, the Kelmscott Press.
  • Hepburn, Victoria. "The Kelmscott Press." IN William Morris: Designing an Earthly Paradise. Cory Korkow and Victoria Hepburn, 24-39. Cleveland, Ohio : Cleveland Museum of Art, 2017 Reproduced: p. 26, fig. 20; mentioned: p. 27.
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art (10/29/2017-1/13/2019): "William Morris: Designing an Earthly Paradise"
    William Morris: Designing an Earthly Paradise. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 24, 2017-January 14, 2019).
    Two Hundred Years of British Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 9, 1984-February 3, 1985).
    The Year in Review for 1981. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-March 21, 1982).
  • {{cite web|title=Psyche Throwing Herself into the River|url=false|author=William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones|year=1865–68|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1981.90