Putto met hond 1713

Giovanni Girolamo Frezza created this engraving, "Putto met hond," sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It depicts a winged putto, a symbol often associated with divine love and innocence, embracing a dog amidst clouds. The putto embodies a classical ideal of beauty, while the dog symbolizes fidelity and companionship. In Frezza’s time, such imagery was used by the European elite to signal their virtue, wealth, and education. Yet we might consider the image's emotional dynamics today; the vulnerability of the figures can speak to contemporary ideas about intimacy, protection, and interspecies relationships. The putto’s embrace offers comfort, suggesting a shared experience of tenderness and mutual reliance that transcends social status. This work invites us to reflect on the complex relationships between power, affection, and representation. While rooted in its historical context, its themes resonate with modern concerns about care and connection, and the way in which we construct meaning through our bonds with others.