He had previously been commissioned by his cousin Lorenzo the Magnificent to produce a sculpture of a sleeping Cupid. Since the work had all the characteristics of an ancient statue, Lorenzo's cousin persuaded Michelangelo to have it patinated.
The "antique" work thus prepared was sold to merchants and made its way to Rome. There, Raphael Riario, the titular cardinal of San Giorgio al Velabro, an art connoisseur and protector of artists, bought the Cupid. The cardinal found out that the sculpture was made in Florence. Thanks to this event, Michelangelo found himself in Rome, where he completed other commissions, including the statue of Bacchus, another version of Cupid and the Vatican Pieta.
