Cupid prepares to shoot an arrow as Venus looks over her right shoulder, from "Sport of Love" (Scherzi d'amore) 1617

Curator: Ah, look, a darkly romantic scene! This engraving, executed in 1617, comes from Odoardo Fialetti's "Sport of Love" series, held here at the Metropolitan. Note how he stages the figures... Editor: Whoa, that's some heavy, old-school cherub action. A vintage love-missile situation! There’s a shadowy, urgent feel. All those wiry lines scratching into each other create an unsettling feeling that totally clashes with the whole Cupid-Venus vibe, doesn’t it? Curator: The Baroque period wasn’t always saccharine! Think of the drama; light struggling with darkness! The pose of Venus, turning her head as Cupid takes aim, captures that moment of imminent emotional impact. The arrow, symbolic of love, is about to fly. There’s anticipation hanging in the air. Editor: Well, anticipation maybe mixed with dread? Like, is that arrow aimed *at* her? She seems to be pulling away a little, clutching at her cloth, there, but, still, some seriously mixed feelings on that face...and who gave Cupid caffeine? I can practically hear his maniacal giggling. Is he firing that arrow to *make* her feel something? That doesn't feel right. Curator: It is, perhaps, the violence inherent in erotic art. Think about the conventions of classical imagery – nudes, deities, and an allegory played out in landscape. There's tension and artifice, an invitation for us to consider how love, sex, and power play out. It's never straightforward... nor uncomplicated. Editor: I keep coming back to the technique, though. The crosshatching is so… furious. You feel the energy behind each tiny stroke! Fialetti has caught this strange concoction: desire maybe but combined with coercion? And I think *that’s* why it unsettles me. Curator: Perhaps that unease is what makes this piece so memorable. A collision of the classical and the unsettling. Editor: For sure. Now I'm not sure if I am scared or strangely drawn. Love hurts I guess.