Seven Putti at Play with Symbols of Vanity
Medium
Red chalk on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
41.6 × 25.3 cm (16 7/16 × 10 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
83993
Art Historical Context
This delicate red chalk drawing, attributed to the circle of Dutch artist Adriaen van der Werff, captures seven playful putti—cherubic figures often symbolizing innocence and fleeting youth—engaged with objects associated with vanity, such as mirrors or bubbles. Rendered on ivory laid paper measuring roughly 16 by 10 inches, the work exemplifies the refined draftsmanship of the late Baroque period. Van der Werff, active in the Netherlands during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, was celebrated for his polished, classically inspired figures, and this sheet reflects the elegan...