Eros with Three Girls at a Fountain 1770

This etching by Salomon Gessner depicts Eros with three girls at a fountain, a scene brimming with classical and romantic symbolism. Here, Eros, the god of love, appears as a winged child, piping a tune, while nearby, maidens gather at a fountain, an ancient symbol of life and purity. The image recalls scenes of nymphs and deities that were popular in antiquity. We find echoes of such motifs in Renaissance paintings, where goddesses and nymphs frolic in idyllic landscapes. Consider, for instance, the many depictions of Venus and her attendants, where the themes of beauty, love, and nature intertwine. However, this pastoral scene is not merely a repetition of classical themes. It evokes a sense of longing and innocence, perhaps tapping into a collective memory of a lost paradise. The fountain—a place of both purity and eroticism—becomes a powerful emblem of the complex interplay between desire and innocence, a motif that continuously resurfaces throughout art history, each time imbued with new layers of meaning.