Description:

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 4th century CE. A beautiful marble relief, likely from a sarcophagus panel, featuring a pair of cupids depicted characteristically youthful and mostly nude with capes that wrap at their necks and cascade down their backs in billowing folds of drapery. Wings outspread behind them, they dramatically stride away from another, creating a dynamic yet almost symmetric composition. These charming figures would have symbolized the soul of the deceased and been part of a larger decorative program, possibly functioning to support a garland. Roman sculptors were particularly skilled at capturing optical effects of light and shadow in order to attain greater realism and as time went on more impressionistic, abstract forms. This example, despite being a fragment, provides a window onto the style and technique of ancient Roman sculpture. Size: 15.4" W x 14.9" H (39.1 cm x 37.8 cm); 16.4" H (41.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Cupid (Eros) was the mischievous yet endearing god of love, a minion, constant companion, and according to some classical writers, a son of the goddess Venus (Aphrodite).

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#174706

  • Condition: Fragment of a larger piece. Losses to forearms of cupids and raised part of thigh on left cupid. Surface wear as shown with nicks and abrasions commensurate with age. Nice preservation of detail.

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December 22, 2022 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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