Nude Male with Two Putti 1600 - 1700

This drawing of a nude male with two putti was made with red chalk. Note the mirror held aloft. It is not a mere vanity object. Mirrors recur throughout art history, often symbolizing self-awareness and truth, but also vanity and illusion. In classical antiquity, the goddess Venus was often depicted gazing into a mirror, an allegory of beauty but also a symbol of the transience of life. In Renaissance paintings, the mirror might reflect both the beauty and the mortality of the subject. Here, the putti—those winged infants, who are often symbols of divine love and inspiration—are entwined with the man, perhaps suggesting a moment of reflection on love, beauty, and the passage of time. This is not a superficial act, but a profound contemplation of the self in relation to the forces of life and death, echoing through the ages.