Putto

Putto - Styles and Influences

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Putto
Andrea del Verrocchio
(Florence, 1435 - Venice, 1488)

The bronze statue of a putto standing on a hemisphere is the work of one of the leading figures of Quattrocento Florentine sculpture. Verrocchio, especially credited for the development of the technique of casting in bronze, proves yet again his remarkable mastership with this sculpture. The putto is presented in swift movement. His leg thrown back and the highly raised hand make the movement gracious and fluid, rendering the statue lively and dynamic. The softly modelled body, the smooth surfaces of the limbs, their fine flexure, the short hair with tiny curls, all these are typical of Verrocchio's small naked putti.