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This is a drawing of cherubs engaged in playful activities. The image shows three cherubic figures in different lively poses. One cherub is airborne holding up a framed portrait with tools bursting out. Another cherub is sitting and using a saw on a plank resting on a rock. The third cherub is lying down with arms spread, appearing to be either asleep or resting. They all have curly hair and youthful features. The background is simple, emphasizing the cherubs, and the drawing style is characterized by clear, confident lines resembling renaissance penmanship.
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This is a drawing of cherubs engaged in playful activities. The image shows three cherubic figures in different lively poses. One cherub is airborne holding up a framed portrait with tools bursting out. Another cherub is sitting and using a saw on a plank resting on a rock. The third cherub is lying down with arms spread, appearing to be either asleep or resting. They all have curly hair and youthful features. The background is simple, emphasizing the cherubs, and the drawing style is characterized by clear, confident lines resembling renaissance penmanship.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

Allegory: Four Putti

Mather Brown

Date
1780/1790
Medium
pen and brown ink over graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 13.8 × 18.5 cm (5 7/16 × 7 5/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1979.20.12
Credit line
John Davis Hatch Collection
Time span
1776 to 1800
Department
CG-W
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • emotion
  • allegory
  • Love
Provenance

John Davis Hatch [1907-1996], by 1976; gift 1979 to the National Gallery of Art

Inscription

in artist's hand, lower right in pen and brown ink: Love; in later hand, center right verso in graphite: Mather Brown / Purchased from V[etos?] / Boston; in later hand, lower left verso in graphite: 3 (inverted)

Watermarks

Patch

NGA object ID 56959. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.