Amor Vincit Omnia 1602 - 1603

Here is a painting made in the early 17th century by the Italian artist Caravaggio: Amor Vincit Omnia, or Love Conquers All. Painted during the Counter-Reformation, Amor is anything but saccharine, pushing against the Church’s promotion of a more wholesome, virtuous art. Cupid, in the guise of a decidedly unidealized and androgynous adolescent, is the victor over all human endeavors. The discarded symbols of the arts, sciences, and the military litter the ground beneath him. Caravaggio, who lived a tumultuous life often at odds with social norms, perhaps identified with the subversive potential of love. By portraying Cupid as a slightly menacing, earthly figure, Caravaggio challenges conventional representations of love as purely innocent and idealized, suggesting its more complex and even destructive aspects. The painting could be seen as a reflection on the artist's own struggles and passions, his defiance of societal expectations, and his belief in the primal power of human desire.