• Bertel Thorvaldsen

  1770-1844

Cupid Feeding Hygieia's Snake

• Production Date

  No earlier than August 1837

• Type of Work / Object

  Sculpture > Relief

• Location

  • Denmark > Copenhagen > Thorvaldsens Museum > Main Floor > Room 3

• Inventory Number

  A371

• Catalogue Number

  A371

• Catalogue Level / Collection

  Thorvaldsen's Art > Thorvaldsen's Sculptures (A)

Explanation

• Hygieia is the goddess of health. Here she is allowing a snake, the symbol of medicine, to drink from a bowl held by Cupid. The message is that love promotes health.

Motif / Theme

• Animal > Snake
• Human > God > Erotes > Eros / Cupid
• Human > Goddess > Hygieia / Salus
• General Subject > Greek and Roman mythology

Additional Catalogue Information