Vissende putti 1751 - 1808

This engraving depicts playful putti fishing. The image teems with symbols of innocence and earthly delight. Here, the putti, cherubic figures often associated with divine love and innocence, are engaged in the very human act of fishing. In antiquity, fishing was a symbolic activity, often linked to spiritual pursuits. Consider the early Christian symbol of the fish, or "ichthys," a coded reference to Christ. Over time, the motif of fishing and angling reemerges in secular contexts like this, where it symbolizes the pursuit of pleasure and the capturing of fleeting moments of joy. The act of fishing suggests a deeper longing for something just out of reach. The putti embodies a collective memory of paradise, a state of harmony with nature. Their innocent play evokes a powerful emotional response, reminding us of the joys of childhood. It is a cyclical return to symbolic themes, an echo resonating through the corridors of time.