Studies of Putti 1450 - 1499

Editor: We’re looking at "Studies of Putti," a drawing of Renaissance vintage—roughly 1450 to 1499. It’s currently housed at the Met. The artist, for now, remains anonymous. I love the almost scribbled, playful energy. Like a peek into a Renaissance doodling session! What leaps out at you? Curator: Ah, the "putto"—the plump, often winged cherubic figure! This page feels like the artist was wrestling with ideas, capturing these figures in motion, in repose...Look closely. Some are pushing carts, some wrestling animals. It's like fragments of stories, wouldn't you agree? Did you notice how the composition guides your eye? It almost looks like the cherubic figures in this pencil work seem to follow a serpentine trail. What's your impression of the skill shown by the draughtsman? Editor: It is skillful. A lot of motion. There is a playful tone with historical underpinnings? And such variety... So many distinct positions! But, if these are studies, what exactly were they *for*? Curator: Good question! These could be preparatory sketches for larger works—paintings, sculptures perhaps. Back then, artists spent years honing their skills through such drawings. And maybe also a document for the studio. Each figure is a potential character awaiting its grand entrance onto a larger stage. What do you make of this abundance of cherubic figures? Editor: It suggests the pervasive influence of religious art during the Renaissance, as a lot of churches and nobility would want some version of them. Seeing them "off-duty," almost, gives a rare insight! It gives a different connection to that period. Curator: Exactly! And to imagine the artist, centuries ago, grappling with similar artistic problems to the ones we face today... Makes history feel a little less distant, doesn’t it? Editor: Definitely. It shows a through-line of human and artistic practice. Thanks, this has been a reminder that even doodles can tell amazing stories.