Venus Binding the Wings of Love c. 18th century

Curator: There's a bittersweet tenderness in this engraving, "Venus Binding the Wings of Love" by Christian Gottfried Schulze, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The lines are so delicate. Editor: It feels like a commentary on the restrictions placed on love, doesn’t it? Venus, a symbol of desire, actively limiting Cupid's freedom. It's a loaded image about power. Curator: Exactly! Maybe it's a mother's protective instinct, wanting to shield love from the world's harshness. The softness contrasts with the idea of binding. Editor: Or perhaps it's highlighting how societal expectations and control can corrupt something as natural as love. The gaze feels almost melancholic. Curator: Yes, there’s a sense of forced restraint. It’s a compelling contradiction, isn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. It prompts us to ask whose interests are being served when we control love, and who ultimately suffers.