The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

Cupid (Amor)

Cupid (Amor)

c. 1630
(German, c. 1597–1631)
Framed: 108 x 86 x 6.5 cm (42 1/2 x 33 7/8 x 2 9/16 in.); Unframed: 87.7 x 65.7 cm (34 1/2 x 25 7/8 in.)
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Liss skillfully combined Dutch, Flemish, and Italian styles to create his own distinct manner.

Description

Johann Liss studied in Holland and Antwerp, and later (about 1620) traveled to Rome and Venice. His painting of Cupid—also known as Amor, the god of love—displays rich colors and fluid brushwork that were influenced by past Venetian masters (Titian, Tintoretto, or Veronese), while the deep contrasts of light and shadow reveal a stylistic debt to Caravaggio. The directness of Cupid’s gaze and the concentrated energy of his pose create a strong connection with the viewer.
  • 1971-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
    Until 1971
    (Heim Gallery, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    Probably 1959-?
    Probably Enrica Basevi, Genoa1
    1936-1959
    Alessandro Basevi [1877-1959], Genoa, probably by descent to his daughter, Enrica Basevi1
    1936
    (Galleria Pesaro, Milan, probably sold through Mauro Pellicioli to Alessandro Basevi)1
    Until 1936
    Agosti and Mendoza collection, probably consigned to the Galleria Pesaro1
  • Klessmann, Rüdiger. Johann Liss: A Monograph and Catalogue Raisonné. Doornspijk, the Netherlands: Davaco, 1999.
    Morassi, Antonio. Mostra della pittura del seicento e settecento in Liguria. Milano: Alfieri, 1947.
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. c Reproduced: p. 134 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue of Paintings, Part 3: European Paintings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1982. Mentioned: p. 174-176; Reproduced: p. 175
  • Le Caravagisme Européen. Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, France (organizer) (June 22-October 14, 2012).
    Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, France (6/22/2012 - 10/14/2012): "Le Caravagisme Européen", ex. cat. no. 101, p. 376-377.
    Caravaggio: Behold the Man. Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH (organizer) (October 21, 2011-February 14, 2012).
    Columbus Museum of Art, OH (10/21/2011 - 2/5/2012): "Caravaggio: Behold the Man"
    Augsburg, Sadtische kunstsammlungen, 1975: "johann Liss," cat. no. 29, pp. 23, 70, 101-103, 104, 106, 108, color frontispiece (catalogue by Rüdiger klessmann, Ann Tzeutschler Lurie, and Louise Richards). The Cleveland Museum of Art (1975/76).
    CMA, January 1972: "Year in Review 1971," cat., Bull., LIX (January1972), p. 42, no. 54, repr. p. 13.
    Year in Review: 1971. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 28, 1971-February 6, 1972).
    Venice, Ca'Pissaro, 1959: "La pittura del Seicento a Venezia," cat. no. 63, illus.
    Genoa, Palazzo Reale, 1947: "Mostra della pittura del Seicento e Settecento in Liguria," cat. no. 146, illus. (catalogue by Antonio Morassi).
  • {{cite web|title=Cupid (Amor)|url=false|author=Johann Liss|year=c. 1630|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1971.100