The Metamorphoses of Apuleius was the primary source for the story of Cupid and Psyche, which became such a popular subject for paintings and decorations in the Renaissance. Although Cupid (Eros) featured in many myths of great antiquity, and Psyche had appeared in Greek art as an embodiment of the soul, the fairy tale account of Cupid's love for and marriage to a mortal princess seems to have been largely a fabrication of the entertaining yet learned Apuleius. The tale is presented as a story told by an old woman to a beautiful maiden kidnapped by bandits. The narrator Lucius, who has been stolen from his master by the same bandits, overhears the tale and recounts it to his readers.

In this scene, Psyche, incited by her jealous sisters, tries to discover the identity of her mysterious lover, who comes to her at night in his enchanted castle. Entranced by the beauty of the god of love, Psyche accidentally awakens him with a drop of oil from her lamp.

Possessed of a human brain, Lucius was able to do much that was beyond the capacity of a normal donkey. His owner recognized that money could be made from these talents and was soon charging admission to see the amazing ass who could dance and understand human language. Here Lucius is caressed by a noblewoman who, after paying to see his usual tricks, conceived a passion for him and bribed the keeper into letting her spend the night.