WHITE MARBLE OF MENACING LOVE AFTER ÉTIENNE FALCONET

A white marble sculpture of "Threatening Cupid" after the work of Étienne Falconet (1716-1791), on a molded gray marble base. The original work, also known as "Falconet's Cupid," was commissioned by Madame de Pompadour, whose plaster model was exhibited at the Salon of 1755. The marble statue, presented at the Salon two years later, adorned the gardens of the Hôtel d'Évreux, the future Élysée Palace, the Parisian residence of the Marquise.

The iconography depicts Silent Love: seated on clouds, the mischievous Cupid asks for silence as he draws an arrow from his quiver. The delightful subject echoes the representation of Harpocrates, the god of silence, with his finger to his lips.

Condition report: chips and wear. Chips at the base on the plinth. Natural vein in the back.