Love, Eternally Triumphant. 1889. Pear wood

In the Old Testament’s Song of Songs there is the phrase: “…for love is as strong as death” (Song of Songs 8:6).
Amandus Adamson gave his own interpretation to this quote by placing a skull on books, with Cupid atop them. The combination of books and a skull is characteristic of classical vanitas-style still lifes, which recall the omnipotence of death, and the powerlessness of beauty, the arts and wisdom in the face of death. On the other hand, the motif of an all-conquering Cupid also appears in art, in which he demonstrates his supremacy over worldly power, the arts and the sciences. In Adamson’s work, where both themes are combined, Cupid has even conquered death. It’s as if the artist wanted to go beyond the words of the Song of Songs and say “Love is stronger than death”.

Amandus Adamson, who created the work, was one of the first Estonian sculptors. He worked primarily in St. Petersburg and at the end of his life in Paldiski.