Frontispiece with Putti and Animals
1653
Medium
Pen and brown and red ink
Dimensions
sheet: 7 5/16 x 5 1/16 in. (18.5 x 12.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.497
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Valerio Spada's *Frontispiece with Put and Animals* (165) is a delightful pen drawing in brown and red ink, capturing the exuberant spirit of the Italian Baroque. Created during the height of the 17th in Bologna—where Spada was a prominent artist known for his intricate designs—this sheet measures a modest 7 5/16 x 5 1/16 inches, yet brims with lively energy. As a frontispiece design, it would have adorned the opening page of a printed book, a common practice blending architecture, ornament, and whimsy to draw readers in. Playful putti—those chubby, winged cherubs symbolizing innocence and di...