Design for a Frieze with a Putto and Acanthus Leaves
1520
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1520
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Design for a Frieze with a Putto and Acanthus Leaves is a 1520 by Giulio Romano, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a quick, loose sketch of a chubby baby angel holding a scroll, surrounded by curling acanthus leaves. This isn’t a finished painting—it’s a working drawing. Giulio Romano used sheets like this to plan the fancy plaster borders in a duke’s palace. The lines are light, almost like he’s thinking out loud. You can still see where he changed his mind. Look up the subject of *Italy, 16th century* to see how artists like him turned rough sketches into grand rooms.
