Angels and Putti Flying with a Garland: Design for a Ceiling

Charles de La Fosse

1675

chalk

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque

About this work

This sketch shows a swarm of winged figures—angels and putti—twisting through the air. They’re tangled in a wreath of leaves and flowers, their bodies drawn in quick, loose lines. The paper is light gray, almost faded, and the red chalk gives the scene a warm, smudged look. The drawing looks like a plan for a ceiling painting, with faint gridlines marking where shapes should go. The artist used red and black chalk, adding white only in small spots for highlights. Next, check out Baroque to see how dramatic movement like this shaped art.