Cupid Shooting an Arrow, Uffizi, Florence

1787

John Flaxman sketched this dramatic statue of Cupid during his Italian travels in 1787, capturing the moment the winged god draws his bow skyward. The handwritten note in the corner—'Great Duke's Gallery in a little room on Left on the Tribune'—acts like an 18th-century Google Maps pin, locating this specific ancient sculpture in Florence's famous Uffizi Gallery. Flaxman, a leading Neoclassical artist, used simple grey wash to emphasize the statue's muscular form against a dark, moody background. This sketch is a perfect snapshot of the Grand Tour, where artists flocked to Italy to study classical masterpieces.

Technique: wash drawing
Material: paper

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