Cupid Bound
Artist
Richard Greenough
American, 1819–1904
Date1863
Mediummarble group
Dimensions74.3 x 60.3 x 38.1 cm (29 1/4 x 23 3/4 x 15 in.)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of David Richardson
Terms
Object number1999.514
Label TextThis whimsical sculpture of Cupid, the god of love in classical mythology, bound on the back of a slow-moving tortoise suggests the frustrations of thwarted passion. At age 17, Richard Greenough of Boston traveled to Florence to study with his older brother Horatio, one of the first American sculptors to gain international acclaim. Both Greenoughs spent long periods in Italy and France as part of cosmopolitan expatriate circles. They also embraced a neoclassical style inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art and characterized by an idealized approach to the human figure. This style was particularly popular with American patrons—including the U.S. government—given the national identification with Greco-Roman republics.ProvenanceB. Manheim, New Orleans; David Richardson, Washington, D.C.On View
On viewCurrent Location
- Exhibition Location Gallery 3001
Hiram Powers
designed 1846; sculpted 1846–1847
