A suite of drawings with motifs linked to the story of Cupid and Venus prepares the way for the relief Cupid Complains to Venus on Being Stung by a Bee, which Thorvaldsen modelled in 1809. This group of motifs again became relevant when, from 1823 until his departure from Rome in autumn 1838, Thorvaldsen exchanged letters with the poet Angelo Maria Ricci. In 1831, Thorvaldsen modelled a Cupid cycle inspired by one of Ricci’s poems.
