Cherub

Art Historical Context

This delightful *Cherub*, crafted in polychromed terracotta during the second half of the 18th century, hails from Naples, Italy—a city renowned for its vibrant tradition of crèche figures. Standing just 6 1/4 inches tall, this small-scale sculpture captures the playful essence of a cherub, with its rounded form and expressive features brought to life through colorful paints applied over fired clay. Polychromy, the art of multi-colored painting on sculpture, was a hallmark technique in Neapolitan workshops, allowing artists to mimic lifelike skin tones, fabrics, and even glinting eyes, making ...