Cupid in the shell

An ode to love

The bronze sculpture “Amor in the Shell” by Edouard Fiers (1822-1894) is on display at the Dag Jan exhibition. This bronze sculpture depicts Cupid as a winged and mischievous boy. He lies naked in a shell resting on a fish, secretly looking around. In front of him lie his familiar attributes, his bow and arrow. The sculpture is an ode to love. After all, Cupid is the god of love who pierces hearts with his bow and arrow. The fish is also a universal symbol of love. In 1932, the sculpture was exhibited for the first time as a new acquisition in the former Stedelijk Museum.

Edouard Fiers

Edouard Fiers is one of the renowned 19th-century artists from Ypres. He was born in Ypres in 1822. He first studied at the Ypres Academy. Thanks to financial support from the city, he was able to continue his artistic training in Brussels, together with several other artists from Ypres. There he developed a style closely aligned with his neoclassical teachers. He ignored new trends in sculpture and opted for the classical tradition.

After his studies, Fiers continued to live in Schaarbeek. In the meantime, he won several important prizes and his work was shown at prestigious salons, leading exhibitions and in newly established museums. In gratitude for the financial support he received from the city during his artistic training, he donated casts of all his important sculptures to the city.

The then Municipal Museum thus acquired a large part of Edouard Fiers' oeuvre. Unfortunately, only three works survived the impact of the First World War. From 1927 onwards, the collection was further expanded and today offers a fine overview of Edouard Fiers' oeuvre, both chronologically and stylistically.

Small version

“Amor in the Shell” is an important sculpture in Edouard Fiers' oeuvre. The sculpture in the Ypres Museum collection is a small version of one of his most popular works. In the 19th century, making smaller versions was a convenient way for sculptors to sell their popular sculptures multiple times. However, the number of editions remained limited. When the work was first exhibited in Ypres in 1932, no one knew its original title. The sculpture was given the name “The Child with the Shell”. Later, the child was identified as Cupid. This smaller version is much more refined and detailed than the original larger version. If you would like to compare the two, the large version is currently on display at AC Auris (Ter Waarde 1, 8900 Ypres).

Would you like to know more about the work of Edouard Fiers?

DEWILDE, Jan, Edouard Fiers 1822-1894. Ypres, City of Ypres, 2005.

The book is available in the Ypres Museum webshop for 10 EUR.