Putti Baroque Sculpture Salzburg

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I wanted to show you the stairway in the SchlossMirabell or Mirabell Palace in Salzburg, Austria. Along the walls, in elegant niches, are stone carvings of male and female gods from Greek mythology. However, I was rather amused by the stone rail. Big babies, perhaps putti without wings, sit atop curvaceously carved marble.



Putti is an Italian word and is the plural form of ‘putto.’ It means ‘male human babies.’ However, over the years it has come be used strictly as an art term, small babies usually with wings. I get the impression that they could be cherubs or small angels, but it depends on the context of the artwork. Putti are generally associated with Cupid or Eros, and thus would be present in art depicting mythological subjects. They are generally associated with love, or sometimes a mischievous love.


Like real babies, these sculptured figures are twisting, wriggling, and vivacious. I especially enjoyed the stone babies who seem to be gesturing to guests to move on up the stairs. And then once at the top, I got a kick out of the baby who is lying back with one wrist to his forehead as if saying to himself, “Doh!” Drama Queen . . .

Since these babies are not winged, perhaps there is another significance that I did not learn when I was in Austria. Any thoughts?

Liechtenstein Palace Vienna Austria

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I took a night train from Florence, Italy, to Vienna, Austria. I was fortunate to have a friend tell me about trenitalia’s SMART card, which got me a ticket for less than half the normal price. I only had two days in Vienna and I came to see artworks of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.

I arrived on a Tuesday morning and the Leopold Museum was closed that day. However, it worked out that the Liechtenstein Museum was closed on Wednesdays, so my choice became clear.

The Liechtenstein Museum is actually a part of the Liechtenstein Palace. Perhaps you can get this idea as you walk up the stairs into the museum with me . . .



I was kind of creeped out by the loveliness of this detail shot in the ceiling painting. The subject of the painting is not so lovely. A woman is pouring something onto a man being tortured by putti. Maybe I misunderstand because I know not the story, but I think that if she were helping him, she would be physically closer to him.
Still, with these colors and composition, the emotion seems quite tranquillo to me.



These next two images were not supposed to have been taken, but how could I not? I mean seriously, this marble sculpture is beautiful and intelligently designed. The motion in the babies, incredible and the stone touches in enough places to keep the material supported.


This marble carving inside the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna is by Alessandro Algardi in 1630. Titled “Eros and Anteros” the statue depicts Eros removing the blindfold from his brother Anteros. The accompanying text that I read from other works explains that Eros represents the god of heavenly love, initiator of all conception. Anteros represents Earthly love (which is why he has no wings), and is the god of unrequited love or spurned love. In art Anteros often appears in the shadow of his brother Eros. The leaden arrows of Anteros represent carnal, earthly desire, whereas the golden arrows of Eros represents the love that conceives children.

Really, we have lost (or at least I have never learned) our abilities to read a painting. Allegory was big in the former days of art. I enjoy learning more about these things that are our eternal struggles and joys.

I do recommend this museum in Vienna. Unfortunately, the day that I was there, the gardens behind the museum were closed for a private party for a bank. It looked to be quite the affair . . .


For more information, visit the site of the Liechtenstein Museum

Or this other site on the Palais Liechtenstein

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