Putti Playing in a Fanciful Landscape 

Jean Cousin the Younger created this intricate print, *Putti Playing in a Fanciful Landscape*, sometime in the 16th century. Look at the detailed lines, the way they define forms, and the contrast between light and shadow, creating a sense of depth and movement across the composition. The landscape is populated with playful putti, adding a layer of classical mythology and allegory. Cousin uses line and form to play with the classical and the ornamental. He destabilizes our assumptions of the natural world, intermixing vegetation, water, and architecture. The flowing water is formalized into decorative shapes, not as something found in nature. These formal choices function not only as aesthetic devices, but also as a way of engaging with the artistic and intellectual currents of the time. Notice the way that Cousin's etching engages in a discourse of how we perceive and represent the world.