Cupid Cutting His Bow
1650
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1650
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Cupid Cutting His Bow is a 1650 by Franciscus van der Steen, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a naked boy with wings—Cupid—standing on a table. He’s cutting a bowstring with a knife while two chubby cherubs sit below, peering up. An open book and scattered papers lie on the table, and a scroll rests against the wall. The artist used deep shadows and strong contrasts to make the figures pop from the dark background. This trick was common in prints to create drama. Look up chiaroscuro to see how artists used light and dark like this.
