Erot with Cerberus.
1820
Eugen Eduard Schäffer captures a delightfully weird mythological mashup in this 1820 sketch, pairing Eros—the chubby god of love—with Cerberus, the terrifying three-headed guard dog of the underworld. Framed neatly inside a triangular pediment, the fearless cherub wraps his arms around the beast, transforming a symbol of death into a giant, multi-headed puppy. This playful study perfectly highlights the Romantic era's love for dramatic contrasts and classical themes. You can almost see the artist's pencil flying across the page as he worked out this charming composition.
- Technique
- Pencil drawing