Sculptuur van Cupido door Benjamin Jennings, tentoongesteld op de Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations van 1851 in Londen 1851

This is a photograph of Benjamin Jennings's sculpture of Cupid, which was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Here, Cupid appears as a winged, nude boy holding a flower, a subtle symbol compared to his more common bow and arrow. Cupid, or Eros as he was known to the Greeks, is no stranger to the stage of human emotions. We see him time and again throughout history, like a recurring dream, from ancient Roman frescoes to Renaissance paintings, each time reborn with a new face. In some iterations, he carries a bow and arrow, inflicting love's sharp sting. Here, however, the flower held delicately suggests love’s gentler, more ephemeral nature. This change echoes a broader cultural shift. The flower reflects a Victorian sensibility, emphasizing sentiment and the fleeting beauty of life. This symbol evokes a powerful longing, reminding us of love’s bittersweet dance through the ages, forever etched in our collective memory.