This 157 cm (5.15 feet) tall marble carved statue can currently be found in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. This statue of Eros – the Greek god of love – is a Roman copy made in 2nd century, the original was made in Greece in 4th century BCE. Eros was the Greek god of love and Cupid is his Roman counterpart. Eros was depicted in Greek poetry and art, as an adult male who embodies sexual power and was a profound artist. Later on satirical poets would depict him as a blindfolded child. A fig-leaf was placed over the genitalia because the Catholics became paranoid that that the genitalia became too distracting to have on the statues. This Roman copy may have been built for decoration. Romans enjoyed Greek and Hellenistic sculpture meant that once the original pieces began to diminish Roman sculptors began to make replicas. These Copies varied in quality based on the sculptor’s skills. In Athens and Rome there was a school designated to copying artifacts specialized and celebrated original Greek statues. Sources: http://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Sculpture/ https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/digital-collection/06.+Sculpture/973356/?lng=en https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/digital-collection/06.+Sculpture/973356/?lng=en
