Putti with the Impresa of Pope Leo X 1585 - 1587

Jacopo Zucchi made this pen and brown ink drawing, "Putti with the Impresa of Pope Leo X," probably in Italy, sometime in the late 16th century. This study of putti, those chubby cherubs so popular in Renaissance art, also includes the personal emblem, or impresa, of Pope Leo X. Made a century after Leo's papacy, Zucchi's drawing reflects how powerful families like the Medici, from which Leo came, used art to construct their public image and cement their place in history. The impresa, prominently displayed, functioned as a visual brand, associating the Pope with virtues like strength and wisdom. The putti, playful yet idealized, further enhanced this image, linking Leo to notions of innocence and divine favor. Art historians often consult a range of sources to understand these works: family records, papal documents, and studies of Renaissance symbolism all help to unlock the complex layers of meaning embedded in what might initially seem like a simple sketch.