Pierre-Paul Prud'hons Mythology:
Love, Friendship and the Terror

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon's Union of Love and Friendship found its way into the Paris Salon in 1793, the year of the short-lived and violent Reign of Terror. At a moment when reality was dark and foreboding, Prud'hon created an image that seemed detached and that featured an otherworldly, innocent quality capable of captivating the public audience in Jacques-Louis David's reconceptualized Salon.

The theme would seem to be an unusual choice given the force with which David's Neoclassicism was then dominating the art scene. This seems stranger still in light of the fact that Prud'hon was a follower of J. J. Rousseau and a member of the Jacobins, the radicals who replaced the government during the Directoire. Therefore this painting must be considered within the socio-historical context of the revolution as well in the context of the artist's own life and the evolution of French painting.

Can the painting be interpreted as an allegory of Love and Friendship or solely as representations of Cupid and Psyche? Or did the artist intend to convey a dual meaning by using Cupid and Psyche to represent Love and Friendship? Other possible interpretations include sacred and profane love and the union of painting and sculpture.

Each interpretation takes on heightened significance due to the time period when it was created. Not only is the theme important given its divergence from Jacques Louis David's near dominance of artistic endeavors, this painting is also significant due to its integration of Neoclassicism and Romanticism. During this period, more than ever before, and due primarily to David's role within the government as a public taste-maker, the Salon became a statement to be fabricated and manipulated to comment upon the regime in power.

Therefore, was Prud'hon's painting a wry comment on the excessive violence of the Jacobins? Was it a call for an end to the bloodshed? How did Prud'hon reconcile his political philosophy with his personal feelings and his desire to succeed at the Salon? Ultimately, I will argue that this work can be considered "revolutionary" even though its subject matter is not historical. I will show that Prud'hon chose to express his feelings towards the volatile political situation in France in a less radical but no less emphatic way than Jacques Louis David.