Eros

Love Before the Arrow

There is a version of Eros we all think we know.

The winged god.The archer.The mischievous force that strikes without warning and leaves desire, obsession, and transformation in its wake.

In much of Western art, Eros appears playful, triumphant, sometimes cruel. Love as impact. Love as disruption. Love as something that happens to us.

When I painted Eros, that image was not what interested me.

This painting was created during a quieter, more inward period and remained unseen until now, waiting for the right moment to be shared.

What fascinated me was the moment before the arrow is released.The pause where nothing has happened yet, but everything is already present.

This is not a painting about seduction. It is a painting about awareness.

A Myth Grounded in Humanity

In Greek mythology, Eros occupies a complex and often misunderstood position.

In early Greek cosmology, particularly in Hesiod’s Theogony, Eros is not a playful child at all. He is one of the primordial forces of the universe, born alongside Chaos and Gaia. In this version of the myth, Eros represents the power of attraction that allows creation itself to occur. He is not merely the god of romantic love, but the principle that brings things together. Matter. Bodies. Souls.

Only later, especially in Hellenistic and Roman traditions, does Eros evolve into the winged youth or child we recognize today. In Roman mythology, he becomes Cupid. Lighter. More mischievous. Armed with arrows that provoke love or indifference at random.

This evolution is telling.

It reflects a shift in how love itself was understood. From a cosmic force that sustains existence to a personal emotion that destabilizes individuals.

My interest lies closer to the earlier understanding.

Eros as a threshold force. Eros as tension.Eros as the moment where desire becomes possible, but not inevitable.

The Pause Before Action

In the painting, Eros is seated against a tiled wall. The setting is intentionally unheroic. There is no sky, no clouds, no divine landscape. Instead, the background feels almost domestic. Structured. Enclosed. Psychological rather than mythological.

This choice was essential.

I wanted to remove Eros from spectacle and place him somewhere closer to us. Somewhere familiar. Somewhere where emotions are felt privately rather than performed.

The wings remain large and luminous. They remind us that this figure carries something beyond the human. But the body contradicts that power. The posture is withdrawn. One arm bends toward the face, as if in hesitation or thought. The gaze turns away from the viewer, refusing direct confrontation.

This Eros does not impose himself.He reflects.

In mythology, Eros initiates creation. But creation does not begin with action. It begins with tension. With attraction that has not yet found direction. With desire that exists as a possibility rather than an outcome.

That is the space this painting inhabits.

Love as an Inner State

The color palette reinforces this idea. Soft flesh tones coexist with muted blues and warm ochres. Nothing is abrupt. Nothing screams. The wings glow gently rather than blaze. The light feels filtered, as if passing through memory rather than direct sunlight.

There is also a certain fragility in the figure. Despite the wings. Despite the mythological identity. This Eros feels young. Uncertain. Human.

Love here is not mastery, it is exposure.

This approach aligns naturally with the Beyond series, where I explore moments that exist at the edge of transformation. Thresholds rather than conclusions. States of being that precede change.

In Eros, love is not yet a story. It is a sensation. A presence. A weight carried quietly.

Why Show Eros Now

Choosing to reveal this painting during Valentine’s week was intentional, but not in an obvious way.

Valentine’s Day often celebrates love as declaration. As proof. As gesture. As performance. This painting looks at love before all that. Before words. Before action. Before certainty.

It is about the internal moment we rarely see. The one where desire is acknowledged but not yet acted upon. Where vulnerability precedes connection.

It is also, perhaps unintentionally, a painting about timing.

There are moments in life when we are not ready to move forward, but we are not standing still either. We are gathering ourselves. Feeling. Processing. Waiting.

Those moments are rarely visible, yet they shape everything that follows.

This painting waited too.

Today, I see it not as something from the past, but as something that understands the present. Love does not always arrive loudly. Sometimes it sits with us. Quiet. Winged. Watching.

And that, to me, is where its power lies.

What does Eros symbolize in Greek mythology?

Eros symbolizes love, desire, and attraction. In early Greek mythology, he was considered a primordial force responsible for creation and unity, long before he became associated with romantic love.

Is Eros the same as Cupid?

Cupid is the Roman counterpart of Eros. While Cupid is often portrayed as playful and mischievous, earlier Greek interpretations of Eros present him as a powerful cosmic principle rather than a lighthearted figure.

Why is Eros depicted as introspective in this painting?

This artwork explores love as an inner state rather than an outward action. The introspective posture reflects hesitation, awareness, and vulnerability, emphasizing the moment before desire is expressed.

What artistic style is this painting?

Eros: Technical Details

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 80 × 60 cm (31,5"x23,5")

Year: 2025

Series: Beyond

Price & Status: 2.500 Euros / Available for acquisition Inquire here and make it yours!   

This painting is part of my Beyond series, which explores themes of mythology, cosmos, transformation, and the mysteries that exist just past the edge of what we can see.

Original works from the “Beyond” series are limited — secure your opportunity to add this reinterpretation of myth to your collection.

🖼️ Limited Edition Prints    Museum-quality giclée prints signed by me available here!