Cupid the Honey Thief 1514

Albrecht Dürer rendered this scene of Cupid the Honey Thief with pen and brown ink around 1514. We see the familiar figure of Cupid, the god of love, here in distress, stung by bees whose honey he has tried to steal. This image explores the complex relationship between pleasure and pain, a theme that echoes through art history. Consider the motif of the ‘honey thief’ in ancient Greek art, where the infant Heracles is stung by bees. Or the many depictions of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, pleasure and pain are intertwined. It is in this moment of pain that Cupid discovers a profound truth about the nature of love. The bees, symbols of community and industriousness, swarm around Cupid, embodying the pain that often accompanies desire. This scene isn't merely a cautionary tale; it is a vivid representation of the duality inherent in human experience, a cycle of pleasure and pain that is eternally resonant.