Allegory: Four Putti

Mather Brown

1785

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Allegory

About this work

This sketch shows four chubby, winged baby-like figures called putti. One sits on a cloud holding a brush and a burst of paintbrush strokes. Another kneels on the ground, mixing something in a bowl with a stick. A third lies sprawled on the floor, tangled in a sheet. The fourth is curled up near the first, looking relaxed. The loose, sketchy lines make the scene feel quick and alive, like a first draft. The putti seem to be playing with art tools, maybe showing how creativity starts messy. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with lines.