Standing Putto Holding Tablet n.d.

Lazzaro Tavarone sketched "Standing Putto Holding Tablet" with pen and brown ink, and brown wash, over black chalk, sometime between 1571 and 1641. During Tavarone’s time, the Catholic Church wielded immense power, and the visual arts were a crucial tool in conveying religious and political ideology. Putti, cherubic figures drawn from both classical and Christian traditions, were common motifs in the art of the Italian Renaissance. They often symbolized divine love, innocence, and salvation. This particular putto is depicted holding a tablet, a symbol of law or knowledge. The ambiguity of the putto’s expression leaves us unsure if he presents the tablet or perhaps obscures the divine message. Tavarone was active in Genoa during a period of significant social and political change, and his work often reflects the tensions between religious dogma and the emerging humanist philosophies of the time. Consider what this divine messenger is trying to tell you about the intersection of power, knowledge, and innocence during the artist’s lifetime.