Putti Bacchanale n.d.

This pen and brown ink drawing of putti, or cherubic boys, is by an anonymous artist. The Bacchanale in the title signals a festival dedicated to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, freedom, and ecstasy, but here, it is populated solely by children. Historically, images of children have been employed to evoke innocence, purity, and vulnerability, yet, they simultaneously reflect the social values, anxieties, and desires of the cultures that produce them. In the Renaissance, childhood was often idealized, and putti were a popular motif in art and decoration, symbolizing divine love. Note how the artist uses delicate lines to create the soft contours of the children's bodies, while darker strokes define the shadows and folds of drapery. Are they innocent, or are they mischievous? The ambiguity might invite us to reflect on how society often projects its own desires onto the figure of the child. This tension between innocence and something more is, perhaps, what makes this drawing so compelling.