The History of Putti: How Winged Babies Took Over Art

By History of Simple Things

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You’ve probably seen them before: chubby little babies with wings, floating around paintings, churches, sculptures, Christmas decorations, and even advertisements. We call them angels or cherubs without thinking twice. But art history tells a much stranger story. The funny part is that the Bible never gave us the familiar image of a smiling baby with tiny wings. So where did it come from? The answer takes us from the strange heavenly creatures described in ancient religious texts to the winged figures of Greece and Rome, and eventually into the workshops of Renaissance artists. Along the way, one particular type of figure became so popular that its original meaning was almost forgotten. So why did artists keep putting winged babies into sacred paintings? And are those famous “cherubs” actually angels at all? Let’s trace the artwork, influences, and historical mix-ups that created one of the most recognizable images in Western art. 0:00 — Introduction: The Mystery of Baby Angels

Tags: #HistoryOfEverydayItems, #HowItsMade, #BehindTheProduct, #SimpleThingsExplained, #EverydayInnovations, #ManufacturingProcesses, #FromRawToFinished, #TheMakingOf, #EverydayWonders, #ExploringOrigins, #UncoveringCreation, #TheStoryBehind, #CraftingEssentials, #OriginsOfInnovation, #DiscoveryOfCreation