Cellpic Sunday — Cupid’s Span

Fandango

John Steiner, the blogger behind Journeys With Johnbo, has this prompt he calls Cellpic Sunday in which he asks us to post a photo that was taken with a cellphone, tablet, or another mobile device. He invites us to participate in this cellphone photo prompt by creating our own CellPic Sunday post and linking it back to his.

The photo below was taken on my iPhone 5 back in January of 2013 along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. It’s the city’s east-facing waterfront that attracts a lot of tourists, with its finger piers, shops, restaurants, and views of San Francisco Bay.

In the background is the iconic clock tower of the Ferry Building and in the foreground on the left is a sculpture known as Cupid’s Span. It was commissioned by the founders of The Gap, Donald and Doris F. Fisher, depicts a partial bow and piece of an arrow.

The sculpture was designed by married artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and was completed in 2002. Cupid’s Span has its roots from the mythological tale of Eros, the god of love, who shot his arrow into the earth, bringing fertility and life.

The designers hoped that by partially burying the arrowhead and the central part of the bow, the sculpture could take on a new life, brimming with symbolism and hidden meanings, as symbol of love and unity, a timeless representation of the city’s soul.

8 thoughts on “Cellpic Sunday — Cupid’s Span”

  3. JT Twissel March 3, 2024 / 3:06 pm

    I heard a rumor that some of the scientists at the Exploratorium calculated where the tip of the arrow will come up if the Earth was porous (and it was an actual bow and arrow). Their hypothesis was somewhere in the middle of China!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango March 3, 2024 / 10:21 pm

      I think they had too much time on their hands.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. boromax March 6, 2024 / 8:09 am

    Brings back memories. In 2013, we lived in Monterey. I was working at the Defense Language Institute. We did not get up to the City too often (2-3 times a year?), and most often it was to attend Giants games. This is a cool photo. ~Ed.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. leigha66 March 6, 2024 / 12:42 pm

    We have revolving art displays downtown here. It is really fun to see the new sculptures brought out with every new season. Although there have been a few I was less than impressed by, but that is art – it is all in what you like. I really like the bow and arrow!

    Liked by 1 person

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