Italian Baroque Artist, Cherub Sculptures, 1650, Lacquered Wood, Set of 2

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A pair of 17th-century Baroque cherubs in carved and lacquered wood, typical of Italian Baroque sacred art. They are two … Read more A pair of 17th-century Baroque cherubs in carved and lacquered wood, typical of Italian Baroque sacred art. They are two angel figures with rounded bodies, red cheeks, and curly brown hair. They are arranged side by side, either reclining or floating. One cherub wears a yellow ochre drapery around his hips, while the other wears a dark green drape. Both cherubs have bowed arms and legs in dynamic poses. The surfaces show evident signs of aging, with small cracks in the polychrome varnish, crazing, widespread wear, and slight losses in the paint layer that reveal the underlying preparation. Both are missing their wings, which were actually present but are fake and not original, so much so that the shoulder blades show no trace of the original joint; they were held in place with small nails. Both have glass eyes. The cherub with the yellow drapery shows signs of an old restoration at the right armpit. Both cherubs have visible missing fingers, consistent with a 17th-century dating.
The difference between putti and cherubs is essentially traceable to their origins: profane and classical in the former, sacred and biblical in the latter. The putto is almost always completely naked, often without wings or with butterfly or bird wings, and is found engaged in playful activities, holding garlands or playing musical instruments in non-religious contexts, while the cherub is found exclusively in sacred works of art. Often, it is depicted simply as a floating head surrounded by two or more wings, without a body, to emphasize its purely spiritual nature, devoid of earthly corporeality. See less