Cupid on a lion

The Cupid on the Lion The sculptural group is composed of different marble elements: an antique lion made in Rome in the 2nd quarter of the 2nd century and the cupid, the stand for the lion and the slab under the antique base added in the 18th century by the object restorer. The sculpture shows a walking lion with a cupid sitting on it. What draws attention to the figure of the lion is the artistic elaboration of the animal's mouth with an open maw and the modelling of its body perfectly reflecting the tension and play of muscles. The thick mane of the animal is deeply grooved with long strokes of the auger. The lion statue is an excellent example of ancient monumental Roman decorative art. The cupid is depicted as a small, naked boy with wings, with a typical attribute of the god of love - a quiver with arrows hung on a strap over his shoulder (the sculpture currently lacks the quiver). The sculpture was purchased by Princess Izabela Lubomirska (1736 - 1816), the owner of the Łańcut Castle, during her trip to Italy in 1785-1786. It was initially placed, together with other antique sculptures purchased by Lubomirska in Italy, in the Turkish Apartment, where it was noted as 'a standing lion, and Cupid seated on it, depicting humiliated love'. The inventories of the Łańcut Castle from 1854-55 and 1862 list it in the Sculpture Gallery located on the first representative floor of the Castle, where it has been exhibited to this day. The Sculpture Gallery is one of the most valuable interiors of the Łańcut Castle. It was furnished after 1792 on the initiative of Princess Izabela Lubomirska. The Gallery's decor was designed by the French architect Jean François Thomas de Thomon. Its walls and ceiling are covered with an illusionist painting showing the interior of an ancient ruin covered with a trellis entwined with grapevine. The Gallery exhibits mainly antique and modern marble sculptures from Izabela Lubomirska's collection. Barbara Trojnar