The winged babies in your art aren't actually angels
In short: While we often mistake chubby, winged infants for holy figures, their origins are rooted in ancient mythology rather than scripture. This video explores how these iconic images transitioned from pagan symbols of love to staples of Christian art.
The familiar image of the smiling baby with wings does not appear in the Bible. Rather, Greek and Roman myths provided the basis for these putti, which served as symbols of Eros or love. They were characterized as nude, chubby children and became prominent during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
By the 15th century, Italian painters began using putti to represent cherubim, particularly in depictions of the Madonna and Child. During the late 15th-century revival of classical subjects, Cupid was also commonly represented as a putto. Over time, these figures became so ubiquitous that their original mythological meanings were often overshadowed by their religious associations.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The History of Putti: How Winged Babies Took Over Art
- Also: Putto | Cherubim, Renaissance, Baroque | Britannica
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