Introducing... Morella!

I think it is time to introduce one of my latest projects- Putti! For a few months now I have been building these doll-creatures, so that they may brighten up the studio and serve as my models.

This is one is named Morella. She was the second I ever made, and is famous around here for her poignant, "ply me with luxury but you still can't make me happy" demeanor, and also her watery blue eyed gaze. So far I have only shown you two of my "putto" paintings; the one sitting on God's lap, and another eating cake (both of which can be seen below). In total they feature in some 5 works in progress at the moment.


I am not sure why I like them so much. For one thing they were a major staple in Renaissance and Baroque painting. They were even to be seen in a lot of 19th century art, some even coming into the early 20th century in Gibson's etchings. For some reason we have lost interest in these charming little creatures, these immortal souls which can embody so much joviality. For example it is very amusing to pass by tapestries in the National Gallery, a serious one perhaps of "The Deposition", only to discover Putti gamboling about on stilts and pulling all types of pranks in the margins. I like to think of them as "little personalities", such as those found in my Venetian Carnivale mask collection, where you have the tragedy and comedy, the Pulcinello and the Bauta, the Jolly and the Doctor of the Plague.

I work quite hard on making them and endowing each with it's own dress and unique look. There will be posts following up on this which go into the details of making and painting a Putto doll, for the art deserves several articles in its own right.

Morella posing in front of "Book of Genesis".

What are Putti? Putto is the Italian singular noun for kid, or child. This slang term must have been coined somewhere during the Renaissance when they were in such high demand, and the term kind of stuck. You could also say cherub. You find them in all types of art, from Michelangelo, Rubens, Bernini, to Caravaggio and Fragonard. Once I became aware of the fact I wanted to make my own, I began noticing them everywhere... In parks, fountains, churches, and just about every room in an art museum.

One may observe the delicate painting around Morella's face. Her name also comes from an Edgar Allen Poe story.