works, without usually taking any actual part in the events depicted in narrative paintings. There are two popular forms of the putto as the main subject of a work of art in 16th-century Italian Renaissance art: the sleeping putto and the standing putto with an animal or other object. Where putti are found Putti, cupids, and angels (see below) can be found in both religious and secular art from the 1420s in Italy, the turn of the 16th century in the Netherlands and Germany, the Mannerist period and late Renaissance in France, and throughout Baroque ceiling frescoes. So many artists have depicted them, but among the best-known are the sculptor Donatello and the painter Raphael. The two relaxed and curious putti who appear at the foot of Raphael's Sistine Madonna are often reproduced. They also experienced a major revival in the 19th century, where they gamboled through paintings by French academic painters, from Gustave Doré’s illustrations for Orlando Furioso to advertisements. Iconography of the putto The iconography of putti is deliberately unfixed, so that it is difficult to tell the difference between putti, cupids, and various forms of angels. They have no unique, immediately identifiable attributes, so that putti may have many meanings and roles in the context of art. Some of the more common associations are: Associations with Aphrodite, and so with romantic—or erotic—love Associations with Heaven Associations with peace, prosperity, mirth, and leisure Historiography The historiography of this subject matter is very short. Many art historians have commented on the importance of the putto in art, but few have undertaken a major study. One useful scholarly examination is Charles Dempsey's Inventing the Renaissance Putto. Gallery See also Puer Mingens – Artistic depictions of boys urinating Four Kumāras – A group of semi-divine sage boys in Hinduism Gohō dōji – Buddhist guardian deities in the form of young boys References External links Warburg Institute Iconographic Database: ca. 1,400 images of Amorini (Amoretti) in secular contexts Angels in art Italian words and phrases Renaissance art Visual motifs Eros Cupid Cherubim