putto

Putto is an artistic term used for a chubby, often winged male child figure that appears in Western art, particularly from the Italian Renaissance onward. Putti are usually depicted as naked or lightly clothed youths with a playful or innocent expression. They function as decorative or symbolic elements rather than as specific gods or beings.

The term comes from Italian, where putto means "little boy" or "child." The English usage is borrowed from Italian Renaissance usage. In art history, putti are closely related to, but distinct from, other close motifs such as Cupid (the Roman god of love) and the broader category of cherubs.

Iconography of putti varies. They are frequently shown as clusters of smiling or mischievous boys, sometimes with wings, sometimes wingless. They may hold items such as garlands, musical instruments, fruits, or symbolic attributes. Putti can express love, joy, beauty, or the presence of the divine in a secular or sacred setting. Although they resemble Cupid in some depictions, they are not gods or personifications of love by themselves; they are decorative figures that convey mood or narration within a composition.

History and usage have evolved with artistic style. Putti were common in Italian Renaissance painting and sculpture, and continued prominently in Baroque and Rococo works as exuberant decorative elements. In Neoclassical and later decorative arts, putti remained popular in frescoes, stucco, and reliefs, often as lighthearted or allegorical accents within larger schemes.

See also: Cupid, Cherub, Renaissance art, Baroque sculpture, Neoclassicism.