Putto 1741 - 1820

Curator: Oh, he's darling! A little cherub floating on the paper like a sweet dream. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is a work by Abraham Delfos, aptly titled "Putto." It's estimated to have been created sometime between 1741 and 1820 and can be found here at the Rijksmuseum. The medium is ink on paper. Curator: Ink, that’s it? Such delicate lines, so much implied volume. He’s not quite flying, is he? More like swimming through air, or perhaps napping mid-flight? Editor: Well, the putto, historically, functions as a symbol. Representations of children and infants in classical art have shifted over time, from representations of pure love or heavenly connection, and even now, their idealized depiction contrasts the realities of child mortality and labor in past centuries. Curator: It makes me think about the kind of world this little guy inhabits. Does he know about those earthly troubles? Does he float above it all in a carefree bliss? Or maybe his chubby fingers are crossed hoping for the best? I think, somehow, this represents the weight of being alive on Earth for even the young ones, while maintaining their childlike state. Editor: The ink lends itself to the theme here—it creates soft transitions across the angel's skin but also creates darker outlining for the form's shape overall, contributing a dynamic sense of shadow and depth. It evokes notions of impermanence. These concepts extend beyond the aesthetic and can inspire profound thought around collective experience, history, and being. Curator: There's something melancholy about it. Like he knows something we don't and it makes him a little bit sad. Despite the common association with happiness and light, this one almost touches upon vulnerability. Editor: It’s an important point you bring up, particularly for audiences engaging with Delfos’ work, to interrogate its inherent biases and blind spots and inspire conversations around identity and the way our cultural landscape shapes how we look, what we see, and who we judge. Curator: I think I'm in love with a melancholy baby angel now, how's that for engagement? Editor: (chuckles) Sounds like a good takeaway. The angel of contemplation has a message for us all.