Cupid Carving His Bow

Cupid Carving His Bow (After Parmigianino) and we believe to be within the circle of Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640), This rare, double-sided sheet features a line drawing executed in brown ink on laid paper, depicting a full-length, winged Cupid facing three-quarters to the right as he leans forward to carve his bow from the club of Hercules. Recto (Front View) Shows the complete composition rendered in a fluid, confident contour outline with minimal internal shading, emphasizing muscular anatomy reminiscent of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Verso (Reverse View): Reveals that the drawing is an artistic pricking canvas or transfer cartoon, heavily perforated along the primary ink lines for enabling a pouncing technique. This indicates the drawing was intended to transfer the design onto another surface, such as a panel, canvas, or printmaking plate, by dusting charcoal powder through the holes. The subject directly replicates the central figure from Parmigianino’s famous Mannerist masterpiece, Cupid Making His Bow (c. 1533–1535, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). However, while Parmigianino’s original composition captures Cupid looking back seductively over his left shoulder at the viewer, this specific variation features an adjusted head angle with Cupid looking downward at his work, a softer facial profile, and a more robust, athletic physique. Images from this drawing was formally inspected by the prominent art historian and Northern Baroque specialist Prof. Dr. Nils Büttner. While Dr. Büttner could not assign a definitive attribution to a specific hand, the muscular modeling of the wings, the heavy proportions of the putto, and we ourselves at the Vaughan Gallery are sanguine enough to attribute the energetic contours that strongly align with the workshop circle and expressive style of Peter Paul Rubens. Rubens famously studied and copied Parmigianino’s Cupid Making His Bow during his career, with his own painted copy now residing in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Brown ink on laid paper, extensively pricked for transfer (pouncing). Date: Mid-17th Century. Visible aging consistent with the period, minor edge fraying, and a small historic corner repair at the top left. This picture is unsigned and is a rare 17th century example of a confident and extremely competent draughtsman, as such the artist deeming to copy a famous work by Parmigianino, and the manner of the depiction is within the style and circle of Peter Paul Rubens ( 1577 -1640 ) .