Lovers with Cupids 1790 - 1800

Editor: This is “Lovers with Cupids,” a porcelain sculpture from around 1790-1800, created by the Royal Porcelain Manufactory. It feels so delicate, like a frozen moment of romance. The garland of flowers connecting the lovers really catches my eye. What symbols do you see at play in this piece? Curator: The garland is certainly key! Flowers often symbolize beauty, fleeting moments, and the intoxicating power of love, but the *binding* nature of the garland suggests commitment and constraint, even, in a psychological reading, codependency. Look, too, at the cupids; they're not simply cherubic figures of love, are they? Editor: Not really, one seems almost… burdened. Curator: Exactly. What emotional associations arise from that? We see how idealized romance can be a weight to carry, a performance rather than a natural expression. Rococo often presents love as playful and frivolous, yet this sculpture hints at the complexities and responsibilities inherent in relationships, and possibly, inherited. The artist invites us to consider whether love is a freely given gift or a culturally prescribed expectation. Do you think viewers at the time picked up on this subversion? Editor: That’s a really interesting point; I had only considered the sweetness of the scene at first glance. Thinking about the period, maybe some did see it as a commentary, but others simply enjoyed its prettiness. Curator: Perhaps it’s a bit of both! Visual symbols aren’t fixed in their meaning. Their emotional power evolves with culture. What strikes us today may be quite different from what someone in the 18th century would have seen, or felt. Editor: I’m definitely seeing this sculpture in a different light now. It makes me think about the stories we tell ourselves about love, and how much of it is really our own. Thanks for pointing that out!