Design for Cupid and Trophy of Arms
Medium
figures
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-6441
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Paolo de Mattheis, an Italian artist active from the late seventeenth into the early eighteenth century, created this preparatory design between 1710 and 1728. The drawing explores the mythological figure of Cupid alongside a trophy of arms, a motif that blends themes of love and martial triumph. Such often served as studies for larger decorative schemes in palaces or churches, reflecting the era’s taste for allegorical imagery that celebrated both personal affection and heroic achievement. As part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, the work was acquired through the generosi...