Cupid Cutting His Bow from the Club of Hercules

myminifactory

Edme Bouchardon brings Cupid to life as a mischievous teenager playing a trick on Hercules. A sly grin spreads across the god's face as he disarms two powerful deities, Mars and Hercules, with his cunning ways. The gentle curves and twisting motion of the sculpture beckon viewers to walk around it, inviting them to appreciate its full beauty. This bold work, which sought to realistically depict a naked, unidealized teenager, was considered shockingly crude at the time. Cupid, now portrayed as a teenager, has pulled off an impressive heist by stealing the weapons of Mars and Hercules' club. Proud of his accomplishment, he laughs with glee as he tests the spring of the bow he crafted from the club's wood. Bouchardon showcased the terra-cotta model at the 1739 Salon; a marble was commissioned by Philibert Oudry, director of the King's Buildings, in 1740, but Bouchardon didn't start working on it until 1745 due to his busy schedule with the Grenelle fountain. To give his figure a natural appearance, he made several studies from life and exhibited a plaster model at the 1746 Salon. He worked tirelessly on the marble from July 1747 to May 1750, completing the sanding and polishing himself – tasks usually left to assistants. However, the substantial payment of 21,000 livres he received for the sculpture made up for the extra effort. Bouchardon's Cupid is a groundbreaking work that seamlessly combines ancient and Renaissance styles in its naturalistic approach to the figure. Drawing inspiration from Eros Stringing His Bow (Museo Capitolino, Rome), he borrowed the large wings and motif of the god examining his bow. He likely also studied a painting by Italian artist Parmigianino (1503-1540), which was part of the Duke of Orléans' collection in the Palais Royal in Paris at the time. Bouchardon's figure shares the same elegance as its Italian counterpart, but its sinuous movement surpasses it: the teenager's rotating body forms a long spiral that draws the eye around the sculpture. The round base and circular arrangement of the objects on it (rope, quiver strap, lion's tail) enhance the effect, making the viewer feel like they're walking around the sculpture itself. The work is meant to be placed in the middle of the Hercules Room at Versailles, where its beauty can be fully appreciated from all angles.