Sleeping Cupid Italian Marble

The theme of the cherubic Cupid sleeping has prevailed throughout art history, emerging as a popular subject in Greco-Roman art and persisting through the 19th century, and this Italian marble work crafted in the manner of celebrated artisan François Duquesnoy is one of the finest renditions of this subject. Duquesnoy was a Baroque master of the putti genre, culminating in his famed bas-relief work at the Villa Doria Pamphili, which helped to establish a prototype for sculptures of putto and cherubs in the centuries that followed. His iconic sleeping cupid in particular influenced generations of artists who followed him, and the present marble is an especially fine example of a work inspired by the great sculptor.

Rendered in the Baroque style, the child's languid body is beautiful, yet plump, lending it a Rubenesque quality that also gives it an air of youthful innocence. Using his sheath of arrows as a pillow, he lounges across draped robes as he hugs his bow. The technical skill of the artist is on full display, from Cupid's gently carved features and detailed strands of hair to the drapery upon which he lays.

Late 18th/Early 19th century

22 3/4" wide x 11 1/4" deep x 12 1/2" high
Base: 23 1/2" wide x 15 1/2" deep x 4 1/4" high


Provenance:
Sir Henry Williams-Wynn (1783-1856), given as a wedding present to his daughter Katherine
Thence by descent
M.S. Rau, New Orleans, 2021