Celebrate Valentine’s Day with 15 Cupid Tattoos

There are many symbols that have become synonymous with Valentine’s Day—candy hearts, boxes of chocolate and roses to name a few. But one of the most traditional characters we associate with February 14th is Cupid. In Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Mars and Venus, and is the god of desire, attraction, affection and erotic love. In Greek mythology, he’s known as Eros and his parents are Ares and Aphrodite. He’s depicted as both a cherub and young man, with wings and often carrying a bow and arrow. He’s sometimes also depicted with a torch and/or blindfolded, as “love is blind.”

Cupid has been depicted in stories and paintings by artists for centuries, mentioned in William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” (1595/6) and Caravaggio’s “Amor Vincit Omnia,” (1601/2). Today, he’s continuously referenced throughout popular culture and has even made his way into the tattoo world.

Cupid has become a classic symbol is tattooing, both in his traditional form and with modern additions or exaggerations. We’ve gathered some of our favorite examples across all styles of tattooing, from black-and-grey to blackwork to color realism. Take a peek at our selection of Cupid tattoos in the gallery below, then let us know your thoughts on this story on social media.