Standbeeld van Amor hangt aan een katrol in een boom 1726

Bernard Picart rendered this engraving, "Statue of Cupid Hanging from a Pulley in a Tree," sometime before 1733. Here, we see Cupid suspended, not in triumphant flight, but rather hoisted unceremoniously by a pulley attached to a withered tree, his torch in hand. The figure of Cupid, of course, carries with it centuries of cultural baggage—from the mischievous god of love in Roman mythology to the more secular symbol of romantic affection we know today. But here, his predicament complicates this familiar narrative. The act of hanging, often associated with punishment or death, introduces a discordant note into the image. One thinks of the Hanged Man in Tarot, a figure of sacrifice and surrender, and the emotional state of suspension, of being caught between conflicting desires. The withered tree too is not a symbol of life, but rather, death. What does it all mean, then, to have the god of love in this state? It underscores the cyclical nature of symbols, their capacity to invert and subvert, and the profound emotional undercurrents that shape our understanding of love itself.