Cupid Riding a Dolphin Symbolizing Water, after Thorwaldsen c. 19th century

Curator: Here we have Bonfiglio Zaccagnini's "Cupid Riding a Dolphin Symbolizing Water, after Thorwaldsen." Editor: It's so small! Like a delicate biscuit or a finely wrought token. I’m drawn to its tactile quality. What’s it made of? Curator: The museum records don't specify the material, but its monochromatic nature and size suggest it might be plaster or perhaps ceramic. It's a copy after all, after the famed sculptor Thorwaldsen. Editor: Ah, so this piece becomes a material echo of a grander artistic idea, transformed by labor and reproduction into something almost domestic in scale. Curator: Precisely. Cupid, the god of love, astride a dolphin… it invokes a sense of playfulness, a connection between earthly desires and the depths of emotion. Editor: I see the perpetuation of myth through medium. This object’s circulation speaks to the power of imagery, love’s enduring appeal, and its capacity to resurface through time. Curator: Indeed, and for me, the dolphin itself is an enduring symbol of guidance and protection. It’s a hopeful image. Editor: It does offer that, doesn't it? A miniature emblem for sentimental exchange, democratizing access to mythological narratives.