Part of: Blog
A putto is the figure of a chubby little boy, usually naked and often winged, found throughout European art. The word is Italian for "little boy", and the plural is putti. Putti stand for love, joy and the presence of heaven: they fly around the Madonna in altarpieces, carry garlands on ceilings and play on silver, porcelain, clocks and cameos.
Own a piece decorated with putti?
Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.
- Read our Google reviews (opens Google)
- Free, no obligation
- A reply within one working day
- Paid the same day after inspection
What is a putto?
Putto (plural putti) comes from the Italian for a small boy, from the Latin putus, "boy". In art it means a plump, naked infant boy, with or without wings. One figure is a putto; two or more are putti. "Puttos" is not used.
Putti go back to the winged boys of ancient art: the erotes of Greece and the cupids of Rome, who decorate Roman sarcophagi and wall paintings. Sculptors in early Renaissance Florence revived them. Donatello made them a favourite subject in the 1430s, and from then on they spread through painting, sculpture and decoration across Europe.
What do putti mean?
- Love. Sacred love in religious scenes, earthly love in mythological ones.
- Heaven close at hand. In altarpieces they mark the presence of the divine around the Madonna and saints. The two putti leaning on the ledge at the foot of Raphael’s Sistine Madonna are the best known.
- Joy and abundance. They carry garlands, fruit and flowers, and play music.
- Ideas in allegories. They hold the attributes of a virtue, a season or an art: a trumpet for Fame, tools for the arts, ears of corn for summer.
Putto, cherub or cupid?
The three are often confused. They overlap in art but are not the same thing.
- Putto
- What it is
- A decorative infant boy, religious or secular
- How it is shown
- Plump, naked, with or without wings
- Cherub
- What it is
- An angel of high rank in the Bible
- How it is shown
- In later art often a winged infant, or just a winged head
- Cupid (amorino)
- What it is
- The child god of love
- How it is shown
- A winged boy with a bow and arrows
So every cupid is a kind of putto, but a putto is not necessarily an angel. When people say "cherub" for a winged baby on a ceiling, art historians usually say putto.
Putti in Renaissance and Baroque art
In the Renaissance putti appear in frescoes, altarpieces and sculpture, and in prints such as the engraving by Albrecht Dürer shown here. In the 1600s and 1700s they fill Baroque and Rococo decoration: ceilings, church interiors, furniture mounts and garden statues. Nicolas Poussin painted a crowd of them at play in his Bacchanal of Putti.
Where putti appear on antiques
- Silver: figural groups, candelabra, centrepieces and the handles and finials of tableware, like the Italian groups in our photograph.
- Gilt bronze: mounts on furniture and the cases of French mantel clocks.
- Porcelain: figures and groups from the great factories, often as allegories of the seasons or the arts.
- Cameos and jewellery: carved shell and hardstone cameos, often a putto beside a classical female figure, as on the agate cameo shown here.
- Paintings and prints: in religious and mythological scenes of every period.
How to read a piece with putti
0 of 4 checked
1The material
Silver, gilt bronze, porcelain, hardstone or shell each has its own marks and signs of age.
2The marks
Hallmarks on silver, factory marks on porcelain, signatures on bronzes and cameos.
3The modelling
Crisp, lively faces and limbs point to good work; soft, blurred detail often means a later cast.
4The condition
Repairs to fingers, wings and toes are common on porcelain and bronze.
Own a piece decorated with putti? Send clear photographs of the front, the back and any marks for a free, honest check.
Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.
What makes a putti piece valuable?
The putto is a common motif, so the value lies in the piece: its material, maker and marks, its age, the quality of the modelling or carving, its condition and its provenance. We never publish figures; every piece is different.
Free, no obligation, and returned at our cost if you decline.
Read our Google reviews (opens Google)
- Material
- Maker and marks
- Age
- Workmanship
- Condition
- Provenance
How selling works
- 1
Send photographs
of the front, the back and any marks, plus anything you know about the piece.
- 2
Free value inspection
We reply within one working day with an estimate, subject to inspection. If our offer differs, you can decline and we return it at our cost.
- 3
Paid the same day after inspection
by bank transfer or in cash, in Mayfair, at our Braintree office, by post or by free collection.
Questions people ask
What is a putto?
A putto is a figure of a chubby little boy, usually naked and often winged, used in European art since the Renaissance. The word is Italian for "little boy".
What is the plural of putto?
Putti. One figure is a putto; two or more are putti.
What do putti represent?
Love, sacred or earthly, the presence of heaven, joy and abundance. In allegories they carry the attributes of a virtue, a season or an art.
What is the difference between a putto and a cherub?
A cherub is an angel of high rank in the Bible. A putto is a decorative infant, religious or secular, and need not be an angel at all. Later art often draws cherubs as winged infants, which is why the two are confused.
Do putti have wings?
Some do and some do not. Winged putti are common in religious scenes; wingless putti often appear in secular decoration.
Who made putti popular?
Sculptors of early Renaissance Florence revived them from ancient art, Donatello above all, and painters such as Raphael made them famous.
Related guides
Have a piece with putti?
Send a few photographs and we will tell you what it is and what it is worth, free.
Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.
