Eros Vanné 1894

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec crafted "Eros Vanné" as a lithograph. Here, we see a winged Cupid, that ancient symbol of love and desire, hobbling on crutches. This winged figure immediately calls to mind the classical Eros, often depicted as a mischievous, beautiful boy wielding a bow and arrow, striking unsuspecting hearts. But here, Eros is wounded, his arrow of desire seemingly spent, his foot bandaged. Consider how this echoes in Botticelli’s "Mars and Venus," where putti play with Mars’s armor, diminishing his war-like power. The wounded Cupid is an enduring symbol, resurfacing through centuries to embody the pain and complexities of love. It reveals the cyclical nature of symbols—how they are perpetually reimagined and adapted, carrying cultural memory forward. This image evokes a profound, subconscious recognition of love’s fragility, and the poignant vulnerability of the human heart.