Cupid viewed from behind holding an arrow in his raised right hand, a bow in his left 1538 - 1548

Editor: This etching by Andrea Schiavone, dating back to the mid-16th century, is called "Cupid viewed from behind holding an arrow in his raised right hand, a bow in his left". It's currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has a vulnerable mood, doesn't it? A glimpse, almost voyeuristic. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Voyeuristic is an interesting choice! I feel the artist offers us an unexpected view into a traditionally glorified subject. Forget the cherubic face; we see Cupid from behind, almost vulnerable, his attention elsewhere. Do you notice how the sketchy quality and the reverse view lend it an air of intimacy, a quiet moment before or after the act of love? Perhaps Schiavone is suggesting love isn't always as straightforward as a direct hit with an arrow. It can be awkward, fleeting, and definitely unseen by the intended. Editor: That's insightful. So, it's less about idealizing love and more about capturing its more realistic, less glamorous moments. I hadn't considered the sketchiness contributing to that feeling. It makes it seem so much more personal. Curator: Exactly! Think of it like catching a glimpse of a secret. Were we *meant* to see him like this? Maybe that’s the arrow he aims – surprise! It transforms Cupid from a symbol to something... human, no? Editor: I agree completely. I initially just saw the nudity, but I missed that unexpected quality. This glimpse is a reminder that there's always more to the story, a hidden side, even to love. Curator: Precisely! And that hiddenness... that vulnerability, is where so much beauty, and truth, often resides, wouldn’t you say? A side door to something more compelling.