Cupid Leading Cerberus, Symbolizing Fire, after Thorwaldsen c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have Bonfiglio Zaccagnini’s "Cupid Leading Cerberus, Symbolizing Fire, after Thorwaldsen," this small, round plaster artwork, less than three inches across, feels playful despite its mythological subject. What strikes you about this unusual pairing? Curator: It tickles my fancy, frankly! It's as if love itself is leading the beast of the underworld, a symbolic dance between passion and primal instinct. Zaccagnini beautifully captures this tension, doesn't he? Does Cupid look like he's in charge, or is he just along for the ride? Editor: That's a great question. It's ambiguous. I hadn't considered it that way. Curator: And "Il Fuoco" inscribed above—fire!—isn't it all about the heat of passion? Perhaps it suggests taming the beast within all of us, a very romantic notion, no? Editor: It is! I see so much more now than just Cupid and a dog. Curator: Exactly! It's a testament to how even the smallest artwork can contain worlds of meaning.