WHAT would Valentine’s Day be without pictures of Cupid, the little cherubin with his bow and arrow?
Cupid was the ancient Roman god that had the same portrayal as the Greek god, Eros. He was the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection drawing his bow to inspire romantic love.
In the later classical tradition, Cupid is most often regarded as the son of the Roman gods, Venus and Mars, whose love affair represented an allegory of Love and War.
Cupid carries two kinds of arrows, or darts, one with a sharp golden point, and the other with a blunt tip of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee.
Throughout the ages, Cupid has featured if many classical works of art, each depiction taking some particular aspect of morality to adapt myths for Christian use.
On gems and other surviving pieces from the period, Cupid is usually shown amusing himself with adult play, sometimes driving a hoop, throwing darts, catching a butterfly, or flirting with a nymph. He is often depicted with his mother, Venus, playing a horn. In other images, his mother is depicted scolding or even spanking him due to his mischievous nature. He is also at times shown wearing a helmet and carrying a shield, as political satire on wars for love, or love as war.
We possible pay little attention to the graphic images surrounding Valentine’s Day yet they are often reflections of a wealth of historical significance that seek to explain the normal emotions and relationships that go together with peaceful existence.
