The little winged Cupid stands with his feet on the back and tail of a dolphin with its mouth wide open. This pose is quite common and finds its origins in various classical examples depicting Cupid standing on dolphins in the sea. Here the sea is recalled with moving waves on the base. Cupid is shown blindfolded, in keeping with the iconographic tradition, and shoots an arrow (now lost with his bow) from the quiver he still carries on his shoulder. The positions of the right leg - slightly forward and higher than the left - and of the left arm - pushed forward to grasp the bow - create an elegant chiasmus in the composition of the figure, which is still reminiscent of certain bronze putti produced in Italy at the height of the Renaissance.
Nothing is known of the history of this gilded bronze, which came to the Museum in 1910 as part of the Salting bequest. Unlike the other Fanelli bronzes in the museum (A.37-1952, A.4-1953, A.5-1953, A.7-1953), this composition does not appear in any of the inventories of the possessions of King Charles I, the Duke of Newcastle or other important patrons of Francesco Fanelli. This makes it very difficult to understand for whom and when the bronze model of this small group was invented. However, it must have been created after 1632, when Fanelli arrived in England, and perhaps not too far after the model of ‘Cupid on horseback’ (A.37-1952, 1632-1639). Although there are no documents to prove it with certainty, it is clear that it is a model by Francesco Fanelli if we compare it with the latter work. According to Wengraf (2004) a ‘Child on a Dolphin’ recorded in the inventory of the Duke of Buckingham (1635) could be associated with this model, but in the inventory does not mention the material, the dimensions nor the name of Fanelli.
The bronze is very light, indicating a very fine casting, as was usual in Fanelli's workshop. There are four holes in the base, which must have been used to attach the group to a casket or a clock. Another, probably later, cast of Cupid on a Dolphin appears mounted on Jeremie Gregory's clock, W.35:1-1976. There is no chiseling on A.103-1910 except on the base to depict the waves, on the sides of the dolphin's body and on the tips of Cupid's wings. Compared to other known examples, such as the one in the Wallace Collection in London (inv. S85), the casting of the V&A version seems to be later (also thanks to the gilding, which looks original) and it may have been cast by Fanelli’s workshop.

These bronzes all derived from the same composition, but all show minor variations, making each of them a unique cast. This practice is typical of the bronzes coming from the workshop of Francesco Fanelli who specialized in small bronzes made as collectable items. Like most sculptors of his time, Fanelli used the indirect lost wax technique for casting his bronzes which allowed him to keep the original model and to create replicas. However, these were never identical to another, and each had its own characteristics.
Francesco Fanelli was an Italian sculptor born in Florence on 17 December 1577. In the early years of the 17th century, he was in Genoa where he executed bronzes as well as large-scale marble sculptures, most probably with the assistance of his sons who pursued the same career as their father. Moving to England in 1632, Francesco became court sculptor to Charles I and worked for several private English patrons, among them the Duke of Newcastle. He was last recorded in 1641.
Small bronzes of different subjects were collected in Europe from the early Renaissance. Those collected in 17th century Britain were almost all secular subjects and mainly related to mythology themes. Arranged on shelves, consoles or tables, these small bronzes were displayed in the collectors' studios, rooms or galleries containing other works of art, such as paintings, sculptures or cabinets. Depending on the subject and size of the bronzes, collectors were delighted to view them from different perspectives, often admiring their shine when bathed in light.
In addition to King Charles I and the Duke of Newcastle, Fanelli received other commissions from wealthy people, even if only few are recorded in the documents. Fanelli’s bronzes had a long lasting legacy. Despite the absence of information, it is believed that he bequeathed his models to his workshop as hundreds of bronzes made from those models were likely cast after his death and lack the refinement of those made by Fanelli himself.
In the 18th century, collectors' interest in bronzes was supplemented by their taste for porcelain. Some of Fanelli's models were then translated into this material, sometimes even polychromed.