Two Putti with a Bird n.d.

Francois Boucher created this delicate etching, “Two Putti with a Bird,” during the Rococo period in France. Boucher, a favorite artist of Madame de Pompadour, epitomized the era's playful and ornamental aesthetic, often producing idealized and sensual scenes. Here, two putti, winged infant boys, engage with a bird, evoking themes of innocence and freedom. One putto holds the bird aloft, while the other peers out from behind a cage, perhaps contemplating captivity versus liberty. The discarded bow and arrows at the base suggest a relinquishing of Cupid's traditional role, replaced by gentler interactions with nature. Boucher’s works, while celebrated for their beauty, existed within a French society marked by stark class disparities and moral complexities. This print offers a moment of pastoral fantasy, yet it also serves as a reminder of the social realities underpinning such idyllic visions.