A Flying Putto Supporting a Lyre with His Right Shoulder, and a Wreath with His Left One
1820â1850
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-8064
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
In the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection *A Flying Putto Supporting Lyre with His Right, and a Wreath with His Left One* a delicate drawing by Italian artist Fortunatoanti (1787–1863). between 1820 and 1850, this work captures a playful yet classical motif: a winged putto—a chubby, cherubic child figure rooted in Renaissance and Baroque traditions—balancing a lyre on one shoulder and a victory wreath on the other.anti, a sculptor from Carrara known for his neoclassical designs, likely produced this as a preparatory study for larger marble works, evoking the grandeur of ancient mytho...