Amor (_) kniend nach rechts, einen Pfeil abschießend 

Editor: Here we have Victor Müller's pencil drawing, "Amor (_) kniend nach rechts, einen Pfeil abschießend," housed here at the Städel Museum. The sketchiness of the work gives it such an ethereal, almost fleeting quality. What's your take on this depiction of Cupid? Curator: I find the piece particularly interesting considering the sociopolitical context of 19th-century Romanticism, its cultural obsession with idealized beauty and classical forms but also the rise of nationalism. Editor: How so? Curator: Well, the romantic Cupid image became very popular during that time, due in large part to the growing appreciation for antiquity within powerful art institutions. It was taught within academics and practiced throughout society; they created a common visual language that evoked sentimental, beautiful ideals that are quite contrary to reality. I am struck by the nudity in this piece. In what context do you find nudity works appropriately or inappropriately within art and society? Editor: That’s a good question! It’s something I’m still trying to unpack. It strikes me that while we're meant to appreciate it from a detached perspective, there’s an inherent element of power when a person's image is made into a commodity to be seen, like with romantic ideals, and is then widely consumed in various societal spheres like entertainment and advertisements. Curator: Exactly! That tension between aesthetic appreciation and the potential objectification is precisely what makes studying such a drawing so vital, even today. Consider how art both reflects and shapes societal norms. Editor: I'm walking away with a better appreciation of how cultural and societal currents influenced and are represented through Cupid artwork. Curator: And how art institutions both preserve and propel the societal currents and narratives of that time.