Cupid c. 1520

This is a bronze sculpture of Cupid by Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi, made around 1470. The dark bronze gives the figure a striking depth, highlighting its smooth surface. The artist's attention to proportion and anatomy captures the human form. The sculpture has its aesthetic roots in Classical sculpture with Cupid's poised stance reflecting the contrapposto pose. The artist challenges fixed meanings, inviting us to consider the interplay between classical ideals and Renaissance humanism. The bronze medium and technique used, gives a sense of permanence. It engages with new ways of thinking about perception by presenting a three-dimensional form, encouraging viewers to move around and experience Cupid from multiple angles. The smooth surface suggests a desire to return to classical principles, and reflects an interest in ideas about beauty that would have been circulating at the time.