Vijf putti met bloemtakken 1778 - 1838

Editor: This is “Vijf putti met bloemtakken” – “Five Putti with Flower Branches” – a pen and ink drawing on paper, dating from 1778-1838, attributed to Anthonie van den Bos. The little cherubs remind me of decorations on an old wedding cake! What exactly am I looking at, in terms of its cultural relevance, do you think? Curator: Well, my dear, aren't they cheeky! I find that the sketch captures a vibrant essence…almost as if glimpsed mid-revelry! There is more going on here than decoration, don't you think? A baroque flavor. Consider the era…late 18th century. Rococo was giving way to Neoclassicism, a renewed interest in antiquity. Does this remind you of those art historical themes? Editor: Hmmm…not at first glance! Baroque, definitely. I can see a sketch after a finished ceiling painting. And a Neoclassical sculpture might capture the quiet idealism and somber mood – this looks playful. I feel a strong sense of movement, as if they're about to tumble out of the frame! Curator: Precisely! And, the "allegory" tag feels important. Are these putti merely decorative? I see echoes of cherubs adorning Baroque ceilings, symbols of divine love or perhaps prosperity…or a little something Van den Bos encountered and wanted to put on paper, a little lightning strike, a bit of the world captured in the net of the artist's pen…What's most striking to you about their placement? Editor: The bottom putto trying to grab the flower is delightful, but is slightly out of step with the harmony that exists in the group above. Like the start of something, a symbol of something still to grow perhaps. Curator: Perhaps it's an idea not fully formed. I admire the idea that Van den Bos let us watch the idea blossom, petal by petal, and that’s rather thrilling. What I will take with me is that no great work need arrive fully formed, they can just simply turn up, like that one putto’s open hand. Editor: I think I will see all works as cherubs on wedding cakes from now on. It gives me a new way of understanding artistic representation.