Nymph surprised by Cupid
Unknown Artist
mid-18th century
Medium
Limewood
Dimensions
Height: 6 3/16 in. (15.7 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
German
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Ruth Blumka, in honor of Ashton Hawkins, 1985
Accession Number
1985.195.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative collection, *Nymph Surprised by Cupid* is a mid-18th-century limewood sculpture, standing just 6 3/16 inches tall. This intimate figurine captures a playful mythological moment: a startled nymph, embodiment of nature's grace, encounters the cheeky Cupid, god of love, in a scene brimming with surprise and flirtation. Carved from limewood—a soft, fine-grained wood favored by German sculptors for its carvability—this piece exemplifies the era's decorative arts, likely intended for a private cabinet or mantel as a charmi...