Two Flying Putti with a Dove c. 18th century

Curator: I find this drawing, "Two Flying Putti with a Dove", in the manner of François Boucher, rather delightful. Don’t you? Editor: My first thought is that the red chalk, or sanguine, gives it a fleshy warmth. It's a drawing but also a study in bodies and tones. Curator: Absolutely! It’s almost as if the artist caught them mid-flight, giggling, with that dove as a playful afterthought. There's a lightness here, a freedom. Editor: And look how the chalk renders the illusion of volume and mass. We can almost feel the paper's texture contrasting with the cherubic bodies. Curator: Indeed, the artist really knew how to make chalk sing. It's a divine, mischievous sketch. Editor: It really makes you consider the economics of art production and the accessibility of simple media like chalk to impart such visual wonder. Curator: True. I suppose that’s the beauty of it all. Editor: Yes, quite.