Wall Design with Flying Putto
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash
Dimensions
sheet: 7 7/8 x 5 1/4 in. (20 x 13.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry Walters, 1917
Accession Number
17.37.305
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, *Wall Design with Flying Put*, captures the whimsical spirit of 17th- or 18th-century ornamental art. Created anonymously by an Italian artist using pen and brown ink for precise lines, enhanced by brush and brown wash for subtle shading, it depicts a cherubic putto soaring amid decorative motifs. Measuring just 7 7/8 x 5 1/4 inches, this preparatory sketch likely served as a design for lavish wall decorations in palaces or churches, evoking the grandeur of Italy's Baroque and Rococo eras. Putti—playful, winged infants symbolizing love, joy, and divine playfulness—were ...