Cupid with bow and arrow 1755 - 1765

This delicate porcelain Cupid with bow and arrow was crafted at the Saint James's Factory in the mid-18th century. During this era, the figure of Cupid was more than a symbol of love; it reflected the societal values surrounding marriage, procreation, and lineage within the aristocratic circles that collected such objects. Consider the gendered expectations of the time and how this cherubic form, traditionally masculine, is softened, made palatable. Cupid becomes an ideal, an androgynous figure almost, embodying innocence and desire, which is in keeping with the Rococo period's aesthetic preferences for the graceful and whimsical. This work encourages us to consider how these ideals were marketed and consumed. The Cupid is beautiful, yet it also freezes a set of beliefs about love and power and, perhaps, it is our responsibility to examine these underlying assumptions.