Study for Cupid c. 1873 - 1877

This is Edward Burne-Jones’s Study for Cupid, created in graphite on paper. Burne-Jones was a central figure in the second wave of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. The movement’s interest in medieval and mythological subjects reflects the values and anxieties of Victorian England, a period defined by strict social codes and the rapid transformation of industrialization. Here we see the artist’s interest in the male nude, a figure drawn from classical antiquity, as well as the artist’s own explorations of sensuality and emotion. The artist gives us Cupid in a moment of vulnerability, kneeling down, perhaps wounded, with his head bowed. Burne-Jones, along with other artists of his time, challenged traditional representations of love and beauty, creating images that resonated with the shifting cultural landscape of the late 19th century. As you stand here with this drawing, consider how the artist used classical forms to express deeper, more personal emotional states.