Caravaggio's Cupid

Abstract

"Victorious Cupid (about 1601-02), also known as Amor Vincit Omnia, was the last allegorical work painted in Rome by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). It shows the Roman god of desire as a young boy in an animated pose wearing dark eagle wings and holding two arrows. Usually housed at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the painting is the centrepiece of a new focus exhibition at the Wallce Collection in London. This richly illustrated publication features an introduction by Wallce Collection director, Xavier Bray, and six illustrated chapters by renowned art historian Helen Langdon exploring the significance of the work. A description of the painting and summary of Caravaggio's early life present Victorious Cupid against the background of his artistic development and the intellectual interests of his patrons, and within the broader context of the theme of 'love conquers all'. Langdon examines the meaning of the painting, and considers how Caravaggio brings the subject down to earth, from the heavens to the bedroom, mocking the idealisations of Renaissance art."--Inside front cover.

Contents

Director's foreword by Xavier Bray -- First impressions -- Milan to the splendour of Rome -- Omnia vincit amor -- The Paragone -- The final years: Naples, Malta and Sicily -- A rich chain of images -- An anthology of early responses to Caravaggio and Victorious Cupid.