Sleeping Cupid 1560 - 1606

Paolo Farinati created this detailed pen and brown ink drawing, "Sleeping Cupid," now at the Metropolitan Museum. The composition is dominated by the figure of Cupid himself, rendered with close attention to the musculature of his child-like form, set against the backdrop of a densely hatched landscape. Farinati uses line to create form and texture, the hatching suggesting depth and shadow. The sleeping Cupid, bow slack in his hand, presents a figure of vulnerability, almost melancholic. This portrayal diverges from Cupid as the active instigator of love, presenting him instead in a moment of repose. This deviation can be seen as a disruption of traditional iconographies, destabilizing the fixed meaning associated with Cupid. Farinati invites a re-evaluation of love not as an active force, but as subject to moments of rest, doubt, or vulnerability. Notice, also, how the detailed line work, particularly in the landscape, contrasts with the smoother rendering of Cupid's skin, highlighting the figure. This contrast invites us to consider the relationship between the figure and ground, questioning fixed meanings.