Eros

In Greek mythology Eros is the son of Aphrodite and Ares. His name means ’sexual love’ and he is most commonly depicted as a chubby baby holding a bow and arrow.

Eros was originally pictured as an athletic youth and then as a young boy. The image of this god of love as a baby came later in the Hellenistic period.

The statue of the winged archer at London’s Piccadilly Circus is popularly known as EROS but this statue was intended to represent the angel of Christian charity. Situated atop the memorial fountain to the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, this winged archer was the work of Sir Albert Gilbert and was unveiled in 1893.

The Roman equivalent, CUPID, was the son of Mercury and Venus. His name comes from the Latin cupido meaning ‘desire.’