Romantic bas-relief, 19th century.

Romantic bas-relief, 19th century.
"Cherub with bird".
White marble.
Measurements: 46 x 57 cm.

The image of a winged infant (a cherub or a cupid) holding with a string the leg of a bird incites us to various readings related to freedom, the human soul and desire. In this bas-relief, the tensions between the desire for freedom and certain ties with which we sometimes immobilize ourselves in the field of love seem to be explored. It is a romantic theme, although the treatment is based on classical models. However, the classical canons are subverted by seeking more fluid forms. Romanticism explored these themes of passion and desire versus control and repression, suggesting that love, like the bird, is sometimes attempted to be contained, albeit futilely or transiently. Birds also symbolize the human soul, and the fact that an angel holds it could represent the attempt to keep the spirit or soul under surveillance. The bas-relief tends to favor a sense of restrained but expressive emotionality. The use of soft lines and refined details in the wings and bird would reflect the Romantic interest in natural details and idealized beauty.