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Cupid has been portrayed in various facets in art and literature. In Caravaggio's Amor Vincit Omni painting and sculpture, Cupid is portrayed as a nude winged boy armed with a bow and quiver of arrows. The conventional Christian illustration of a Cherub is footed on him. On trinkets and other extant pieces, he is usually made known amusing himself with childhood play, sometimes driving a hoop, throwing flits, catching a butterfly, or flirting with a nymph. He is often portrayed with his mother as playing a horn. He is also shown wearing a helmet and hauling a buckler. Cupid is commenced vastly in Ariel poetry, lyrics and of course Ovid’s love and metamorphic poetry. Cupid is not frequently beckoned on epic poetry but he has an existence in Virgil’s Aeneid changed into the shape of Ascanius rousing Dido’s love. In later literature, Cupid is cited more often than not as mischievous, erratic and perverse. Cupid is often depicted as carrying two sets of arrows among which one set is gold-headed which inspire love and the other set is lead-headed which motivate revulsion. There are some legends which involve Cupid but the best known saga on Cupid is the tale of Cupid and Psyche, first attested in Apuleius’ picaresque novel and The Golden Ass, written in the second century. Cupid’s personality was anything but virtuous. He was reasonably playful and many of his deeds resulted in tragic ending of his victims. Cupid possesses the traditional supremacy of the Olympic Gods such as superhuman power, fortitude and permanence. Cupid can grow wings at will and fly, carrying the weight of others. He is very proud of his skills as God of Love.
Written by Anna Jones. Courtesy of Isnare.com