Verschillende figuren en putti in het bos 1851 - 1865

Célestin Nanteuil composed this print, Verschillende figuren en putti in het bos, using lithography. Here, within a sylvan scene, we observe a constellation of figures, foremost among them the putti. These cherubic beings, symbols of innocence and divine love, are not merely decorative. Their presence echoes through the corridors of art history, harking back to ancient Roman depictions of Cupid and Psyche, embodiments of earthly and celestial love. Consider how the putto has been repurposed across time. In the Renaissance, they adorned religious paintings, innocent bystanders to the Virgin Mary. Yet, in the Rococo era, they transformed into playful erotes, symbols of eroticism and frivolity. Notice the emotional tension between the figures as they huddle together. Such imagery touches upon our collective memory, evoking primal feelings of protection and vulnerability. It is in this cyclical progression, this return and reinvention, that the true life of the image resides, an ever-evolving testament to our shared human experience.