Two Putti Seen from the Back, One Writing n.d.

This drawing in red chalk depicts two putti, or cherubic children, and was likely made in Italy. Putti were a common motif in Renaissance and Baroque art, often used to populate religious or mythological scenes with innocent, playful figures. Consider the status of childhood in the culture that produced this image. Were children seen as miniature adults, or as beings with a special connection to the divine? How did artistic training shape the way these figures were depicted? The anonymity of the artist also raises interesting questions. Was this drawing a preparatory sketch for a larger work? Or was it perhaps made by a student, learning to master the human form? By consulting historical sources such as artists' manuals, workshop inventories, and social histories of childhood, we can begin to reconstruct the world that gave rise to this charming drawing.