The Sleeping Cupid is a now-lost sculpture created by Renaissance artist Michelangelo, which he artificially aged to make it look like an antique on the advice of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco in order to sell for a higher price.

[2] Ascanio Condivi, the Italian Painter, described Michelangelo's work as "a god of love, aged six or seven years old and asleep".

Eventually the sleeping cupid was bought by Cardinal Riario of San Giorgio; controversy arose when he discovered the statue was falsely aged[4] and demanded his money back.

[2] The Sleeping Cupid was a significant work in establishing the reputation of the young Michelangelo, who was 21 at the time.

[2] In 1698, the Sleeping Cupid was most likely destroyed in the great fire in the Palace of Whitehall, London along with many other fine works of art.