Cupid asleep, resting his right arm on his quiver and his left arm on his bow, an oval composition, after Reni 1640 - 1660

Francesco Curti created this print after Reni, depicting Cupid asleep, his arm resting on his quiver and bow. Cupid, the Roman god of love, traditionally embodies desire and affection through his arrows. Here, however, the arrows lie still, suggesting a pause in the relentless pursuit of love. Consider how often we've seen Cupid, wings spread, arrow drawn, a symbol of love's piercing, sometimes painful, arrival. Yet, here, the bow is slack, the quiver untouched. This image echoes motifs found in ancient Greek sculptures of Hypnos, the god of sleep, or even representations of a slumbering Eros, reminding us that these themes of rest and cessation have long been intertwined with powerful emotions and primal urges. There is a poignant vulnerability in this sleeping figure, a reminder that even the most potent forces of desire must sometimes yield to rest. The image resonates with the cyclical nature of love, desire, and the human need for respite. Cupid's sleep is not an ending, but a moment of pause, a breath before the next flight.