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Introduction
- Lovebirds
- 'The Morning of St Valentine', by John C Horsley
- Valentine display in Woolworth's, 1937
- Sweetheart brooch
- Seizure of 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'
- Shrimp pot
- Ladies night dance programme
- 'Kissing bug'
- Pair of Valentine cards, 1850-1900
- French rose
- Sailor's farewell
- Joseph Denham letter
- 'Love tormenting the soul'
- Locarno handbill, 1963
- Inuit boots
- Rialto Ballroom handbill, 1937
- Sailor's valentine
- 'An Idyll', by Maurice W Greiffenhagen
- Cupid cup and saucer
- Romantic moths
- Baltic Valentine menu, 1913
- 'Our first tiff', by Robert W Macbeth
- Heart shaped silver plate

'Love tormenting the soul' by John Gibson (1790 - 1866)

Marble

Accession number WAG 4106

statue of a young winged boy with a quiver of arrows holding a butterfly

The full title of this statue is actually 'Love (or Cupid) cherishing the soul while preparing to torment it', but it is also known by the shorter title 'Love tormenting the soul'.

In the staue the human soul is symbolised by the butterfly on Cupid's breast which is about to be subjected to Love's arrow.

Gibson's design, related to Thorvaldsen's 'Cupid Triumphant', was first executed at the Royal Academy in 1839. Several versions were made, including this one for Richard Vaughan Yates, the Liverpool merchant.

This statue is on display in the sculpture gallery at the Walker Art Gallery.

detail of young boy with wings holding butterfly

Detail of the butterfly in Cupid's hand

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