Three Flying Putti
1626
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1626
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Three Flying Putti is a 1626 ink by Cornelis Schut I, a Renaissance work, depicting Putti, held at National Gallery of Art.
Three chubby baby angels dance in midair on a sheet of paper. Their arms and legs flail as they fly. One holds a wreath over his head like a crown. This is an engraving and etching on old paper. It looks delicate but tough—ink bites into the metal plate, then gets pressed onto the sheet. The lines are crisp, almost like lace. See how the shadows under their wings make them pop? That’s drypoint at work.
