Sketches of a Woman Artist with Various Putti
17th century
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor Garnier Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-65-62
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Simone Cantarini (1612–1648), a prominent Italian artist from Bologna, was a master of the Baroque style, influenced by the Carracci family and Guido Reni. Active in the 17th century, he in paintings, etchings, and drawings that captured graceful figures with soft, luminous modeling. *Sketches of a Woman Artist with Variousti* exemplifies his skill in preliminary studies, blending portraiture with mythological whimsy. The central female figure, likely an allegorical depiction of an artist at work, is surrounded by playful putti—cherubic attendants common in Baroque art symbolizing inspiration ...