A Group of Floating Putti
Giuseppe Passeri, a master of the late Baroque, filled this sketch with a chaotic cloud of cherubs (putti) tumbling through the sky to create a sense of divine movement. You can spot a bishop's mitre and crozier being held aloft, hinting that this was likely a preparatory study for a grand ceiling fresco honoring a saint. The dynamic, swirling composition is classic Baroque drama, designed to draw the viewer's eye upward into the heavens.
- Technique
- Ink and wash drawing with white heightening
- Material
- Paper