Michelangelo's Cupid was a famous forgery by Michelangelo that has been lost. Forgery is the process of making or adapting objects or documents (see false document), with the intention to deceive. ... Chalk portrait of Michelangelo by Daniele da Volterra Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect and poet. ...

In 1496, Michelangelo made a sleeping cupid figure and treated it with sour earth to make it seem ancient. He then sold it to Cardinal Riario of San Giorgio, who later learned of the fraud and demanded his money back. However, Michelangelo somehow managed to keep his money. 1496 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cupidon (French for Cupid), by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1875. ...

The importance of the cupid is that it directed attention to Michelangelo's talents at sculpting for the first time.