Cupid Begging
by EPINAY, Prosper d', Marble, height 103 cm
The almost complete subordination of sculpture to functions of interior decoration and the far greater kudos given to technical mastery in this field compared to painting did not encourage innovative experimentation. This Cupid pretending to be a beggar once stood in a drawing room of the Anichkov Palace, Alexander III’s residence in St. Petersburg. With its superbly executed thin mantle, it is a typical work that invested Belle �poque apartments with an air of unrestrained and somewhat philistine splendour.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 4 minutes):
Francesco Gasparini: The Meddlesome Cupid, aria