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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1977.216.3420
Title
Cupid with Arms Raised
Other Titles
Alternate Title: Eros with Arms Raised
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, statuette
Date
3rd century CE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World
Period
Roman Imperial period
Culture
Roman
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/304105

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Bronze
Technique
Cast
Dimensions
h. 10.7 cm (4 3/16 in.)
Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Bronze:
Cu, 86.39; Sn, 13.38; Pb, 0.09; Zn, 0.014; Fe, 0.03; Ni, 0.01; Ag, 0.04; Sb, 0.04; As, less than 0.10; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.005; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer

Technical Observations: The patina consists of a green corrosion that, because it goes into the pits, appears to have been applied although it is difficult to be certain. There is no sign of deep-seated corrosion. The surface is worn and pitted, in part from corrosion. The pinholes and dimples in the cast are evidence of endemic porosity. The fingers of Eros’ right hand are missing, as is the attribute that he may have been holding. A section of the right wing is also lost, and the pitting on the surface of the break makes it difficult to determine whether it was broken off or the result of a casting flaw. There is shallow crack-like discontinuity running across the back of the wing. It does not appear to be a crack or the seam of a repair but may be a cast reproduction of such a break on an original bronze model.

This heavy figurine was cast in one piece and is modeled in the round. It is not possible to say without further evidence whether it is solid or hollow. The fine but shallow details in the hair and wings were drawn in the wax, but much of the surface is heavily worn, eliminating much of the detail. The position and modeling of the arms suggests that they were formed directly in the original wax model. The surface appears to have been cleaned, which may explain why the crisp details of the tool marks on the neck are not consistent with pitting elsewhere.

Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2001)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Department of the Classics, Harvard University
Accession Year
1977
Object Number
1977.216.3420
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
The somewhat static nude Cupid (Eros) stands with his left leg forward and his left foot turned out and flat on the ground. The heel of the right foot is raised only slightly. The thighs are joined down to the knees. The genitalia are indicated by a bump. Cupid’s arms are tubular, with no indication of musculature. He holds his left hand, clenched into a fist, near his mouth; it is not punctured by a hole to hold a missing attribute. The palm of his right hand is turned outward; the fingers curve forward but again do not seem to have held anything. Cupid’s head is turned toward the raised right hand. The cheeks are heavy, the nose is almost flat, and the mouth is crooked. His eyes are asymmetrical, and the punched pupils are recessed. His hair is pulled into a topknot above his brow and is plaited down the back of his head, with loose locks along the sides of his face. On the back, only the left wing survives; the right wing is a stump. Leaf-shaped inner feathers and long outer feathers are clearly rendered on the facing side of the wing; the back is plain.

In contrast to the Greek Eros, who was often depicted as a nude youth with wings, Roman Cupid generally took on the appearance of a putto, a slightly chubby young child. Cupids are depicted participating in many activities in Roman art, from music and dancing (1) to harvesting and farming (2) to fighting and playing games (3). Cupids (erotes) often appear as attendants to other deities, especially Venus (Aphrodite), and Harvard’s copper alloy Cupid statuettes may have been part of larger statuette groups (4). Cupids are also depicted with ritual accoutrements, such as offering plates or garlands, or in ritual actions such as pouring libations and participating in animal sacrifice (5).

NOTES:

1. See, for example, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae Eros/Amor, Cupido nos. 449-88.

2. See, for example, LIMC Eros/Amor, Cupido nos. 489-527.

3. See, for example, LIMC Eros/Amor, Cupido nos. 230-66.

4. For all examples of cupids in service of deities, see LIMC Eros/Amor, Cupido nos. 589-631; for Venus specifically, see LIMC Eros/Amor, Cupido nos. 589-605. Compare also LIMC Eros (in per. or.) nos. 76-88. For additional examples of Cupid and Venus groups in bronze, see A. de Ridder, Catalogue de la collection de Clercq 3: Les bronzes (Paris, 1905) 52-53, 61-62, 80-81, 87, and 91-92; nos. 61, 80, 113, 124, and 133; pls. 10, 13, 24, 27, and 29.

5. See, for example, LIMC Eros/Amor, Cupido nos. 689-714.

Jane A. Scott and Lisa M. Anderson

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

Related Works

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu