Cupid's Span
Cupid's Span is an outdoor sculpture by married artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, installed along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California, in the United States. The 70-foot (21 m) sculpture, commissioned by Gap Inc. founders Donald and Doris F. Fisher, depicts a partial bow and piece of an arrow.[1]
| Cupid's Span | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | |
| Year | 2002 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Location | San Francisco, California, United States |
| 37°47′30″N 122°23′24″W | |
Description and history
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's Cupid's Span, made of fiberglass and steel, was installed in the newly built Rincon Park along the Embarcadero in San Francisco in 2002.[1] The piece resembles Cupid's bow and arrow, drawn, with the arrow and bow partially implanted in the ground; the artists stated that the piece was inspired by San Francisco's reputation as the home port of Eros, hence the stereotypical bow and arrow of Cupid.[2] Leydier and Penwarden wrote, "Love's trade-mark weapon naturally evokes the city's permissive and romantic reputation, while formally its taut curve resonates wonderfully with the structure of the famous suspension bridge (the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge) in the background."[3]
References
- Hoge, Patrick (November 23, 2002). "S.F. struck by love / Cupid's big bow gets rise out of passers-by". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
- Cupid's Span. Chronology of Large-Scale Projects by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. oldenburgvanbruggen.com. August 25, 2009. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
- Leydier, Richard; Penwarden, C. (December 2006). "Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen: l'envol et la chute / Rise and Fall: Oldenburg & van Bruggen." Art Press no. 329: 28-33. (Art Full Text, H. W. Wilson, EBSCOhost, accessed November 10, 2012).