Love locked out
1890
In this poignant Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece, a vulnerable, nude Cupid presses his hands against a heavy golden door, seemingly shut out from the warmth inside. Scattered dead leaves and a discarded helmet at his feet hint at a recent battle or loss, while a thorny rose bush climbs the marble columns beside him. Anna Lea Merritt painted this deeply personal allegory of grief in 1890, using her late husband as the model for the sorrowful figure. It made history by becoming the very first painting by a female artist to be purchased by the Tate Gallery.
Location: Tate Britain, London
Views: 1