Zittende paren onder Cupido in de wolken 1648 - 1669

Samuel van Hoogstraten made this etching, depicting seated couples beneath Cupid in the clouds, sometime in the mid-17th century. It offers us a glimpse into the social rituals and expectations around love and marriage in the Dutch Golden Age. The image presents a fascinating contrast between the earthly and the divine. Below, we see men and women seated closely together at a table, perhaps in a tavern or public house. Above, Cupid floats among the clouds, bow in hand, ready to strike. Consider the setting: the public house was a central institution in Dutch society, a place for commerce, news, and social interaction. It was also a space where relationships could form, and where the boundaries of propriety could be tested. Cupid suggests that even in these earthly settings, love and desire are ever-present forces, shaping human interactions. To understand this work, we might turn to conduct books and popular literature of the time, which offer insights into courtship rituals, gender roles, and the social expectations surrounding marriage in the Netherlands. This etching, like many artworks, reflects and comments on the social structures of its time.