Mantel Clock: Venus Clipping the Wings of Cupid
Mantel Clock: Venus Clipping the Wings of Cupid
Place of OriginFrance
Dateabout 1770-1775
DimensionsH: 18 3/4 in.; L: 16 1/4 in.; Depth: 7 in.
MediumGilt-bronze, enameled dial
ClassificationMetalwork
Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott
Object number
1960.17
On View
Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 27
Collections
Label TextThe subject of this charming mantel clock is Venus, goddess of love and beauty, tampering with the ability of her son, Cupid, to strike the unsuspecting with his arrows of love and infatuation. Though now missing, Venus once held scissors in her left hand that she uses to clip Cupid’s wings, quite literally grounding him. The theme suggests a kind of vicarious revenge for the heartache of love gone wrong.- Decorative Arts
about 1745-1749
1275-1325
about 1498-1514
about 1745-1749
about 1590-1600
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