Cupid Resting (copy) 1620 - 1669

Editor: Here we have "Cupid Resting (copy)," an engraving from the mid-17th century attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn, currently residing at the Met. The crosshatching gives it this soft, almost dreamlike quality... yet there's this pensive mood about it too, even for little Cupid. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Ah, Cupid taking a breather, a bit of divine downtime. You know, beyond the cherubic sweetness, what strikes me is how *earthy* Rembrandt makes him. Not floating on clouds of ethereal bliss, but slumped amongst earthly textiles, almost like a regular kid. Notice how the textures – that exquisitely rendered drapery – almost swallow him up. Editor: I see what you mean! It's Baroque, but much less about pomp, and more intimate, almost melancholy. Curator: Exactly! Think about the Baroque period - full of grand gestures, religious ecstasy and intense emotion. Yet, Rembrandt takes this iconic symbol of love, usually a mischievous agent of chaos, and presents him tired, contemplative. Almost like love itself needing a break sometimes. Editor: That’s a great way of looking at it! It’s interesting to think about it that way - that love requires rest, it's not always bows and arrows! Curator: Precisely! Perhaps Rembrandt is hinting that true love isn't just about arrows and passion, but also rest and reflection. He captures a fleeting moment of quiet vulnerability of someone you'd usually only seen flying around. What do you take away now? Editor: Now I'm definitely seeing past the textbook cupid! It’s a very human depiction and not at all what I would expect.