Cupid Sleeping Under a Tent c. 19th century

Curator: This is Mauro Gandolfi’s "Cupid Sleeping Under a Tent," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: He looks so peaceful, doesn't he? Like a cherubic fugitive catching forty winks in a silk parachute. Curator: Indeed. Note the deliberate use of chiaroscuro. Gandolfi manipulates light and shadow to sculpt Cupid’s form, emphasizing his languid pose. Editor: The tension, though, is palpable. That discarded bow and arrow suggest love deferred, maybe even a bit frustrated. Poor little guy. Curator: Perhaps. Or it could signal a temporary cessation of Cupid’s duties, offering a moment of respite from the complexities of desire. Editor: Well, I choose to believe he’s dreaming of heart-shaped balloons. It’s just sweeter that way, don’t you think? Curator: I suppose that interpretation has its own…charm. Editor: Exactly. And that's art—charm and complexity all swirled together.