Vliegende putto 1618 - 1655

This is Cornelis Schut’s etching of a ‘Vliegende putto,’ or flying cherub, made sometime in the first half of the 17th century. Schut, an artist working in Antwerp, lived in a society steeped in religious and classical imagery. A cherub such as this, with its roots in both pagan and Christian traditions, embodies this convergence. Putti, often depicted as innocent, chubby children with wings, served as allegorical figures representing divine love. But let's consider how the cherub functions within the context of its time. The image of the winged child is often one of idealized innocence. But consider the heavy theological weight it carries, its capacity to embody complex spiritual ideas within the religious and political tensions of 17th century Europe. The cherub becomes more than a symbol of love; it is a complex cultural marker, laden with the hopes, fears, and contradictions of its era.