Art Institute of Chicago

Two Putti Supporting a Torch

Flemish

Date

1650–1700

Medium

Terracotta on slate

Culture

Netherlands

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

In this terracotta sculpture, a pouting putto and his companion flank an elaborate candelabra with a lit torch. The surfaces of the fleshy baby bodies and architectural elements retain the striations and marks of the sculptor’s tools, an indication that this work was not a finished product. Artists considered terracotta, a type of ceramic characterized by its reddish-brown color, an ideal medium for models. Such models served as guides for their assistants to begin the final version, in this case likely an element of a larger sculptural ensemble.

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