Meisje spelend met Cupido's pijl 1750

Jean Daullé created this print, “Girl playing with Cupid's arrow,” sometime in the 18th century. The composition immediately draws your eye to the girl, set against a detailed yet soft woodland backdrop. The textures, rendered through delicate engraving, create a tactile contrast between her skin and the drapery she reclines upon. Daullé plays with conventional representations of innocence and nascent sexuality. The girl's pose and direct gaze engage the viewer, while Cupid's arrow introduces a layer of symbolic tension. Is she playfully testing her power, or is she about to be struck by the arrow herself? The artwork's structure encourages multiple readings. The engraver uses classical motifs, while simultaneously destabilizing them through the subject’s ambiguous expression. This tension invites ongoing interpretation.