Eros/Amor/Cupid

Eros was the Greek god of carnal love. In Latin he is called Amor (love) or Cupid (desire). Eros was the assistant, and according to some the son, of Aprhodite, the goddess of love and fertility. He made people fall in love by shooting an arrow into their heart. Eros himself lost his heart to the breathtakingly beautiful Psyche, the daughter of a king. In art Eros is often portrayed as a winged and chubby boy with a bow and arrow. Such a figure is also known as a ‘putto’. Putti are also frequently depicted together, and in such cases they are not always involved with love.

A blindfolded Eros usually stands for lust. Alternately, when he slumbers, it means suppressed sensuality. Two putti fighting each other could represent Eros and his opposite, Anteros, requited love. Eros with a torch held downward is a symbol of death.