Italian School, 17th century.

Italian School, 17th century. Bolognese Classicism.
“Pair of putti.”
Two oil paintings on canvas.
They have been restored.
17th-century frames.
Measurements: 66 x 88 cm (each canvas); 79 x 102 cm (each frame).

This pair of paintings belongs to the tradition of 17th-century Bolognese Classicism, one of the most influential movements in Italian Baroque painting, characterized by the pursuit of an ideal beauty inspired by models from Antiquity and the Renaissance. Both compositions show stylistic affinities with the work of Simone Cantarini (1612–1648), particularly in the depiction of children’s anatomies and in the naturalistic interpretation of models derived from Guido Reni. These characteristics suggest a possible connection to Cantarini’s work; however, in the absence of documentation or conclusive comparisons, it is not possible to definitively attribute the work to him.

The depiction of putti is one of the most characteristic motifs of the Italian artistic tradition. Heirs to the erotes of classical antiquity and the cherubs of the Renaissance, these childlike figures took on renewed prominence during the Baroque period, appearing in mythological, religious, and allegorical compositions alike. Depicting them allowed artists to explore the expressive possibilities of the child’s body, combining naturalistic observation with the ideals of beauty and harmony characteristic of Classicism.

In the Bolognese school, the revival of classical models spearheaded by the Carracci and later developed by Guido Reni fostered a distinctive interpretation of these figures, characterized by soft modeling, elegant poses, and an expression of delicate naturalness. This tradition found continuity in artists such as Simone Cantarini, whose painting combined the idealization inherited from Reni with a more spontaneous sensibility and greater attention to the individuality of the figures.

The two works we present here embody this sensibility through compositions centered on child figures of remarkable presence, rendered with a naturalistic approach that places special emphasis on posture and expression. Although they employ different compositional solutions, they share a formal and thematic approach that allows them to be appreciated as a pair. Their significance lies both in their interpretation of a subject widely depicted during the Baroque period and in their stylistic relationship to Italian painting of the first half of the 17th century.

Simone Cantarini, known as “il Pesarese,” was one of the most prominent painters of the generation following Guido Reni. Born in Pesaro in 1612, he received training marked by the colorist tradition of Federico Barocci and by the naturalism present in the painting of the Marche region. His arrival in Bologna and his entry into Guido Reni’s circle around 1635 proved decisive for his artistic development. Although he initially adopted his master’s style, he gradually developed a personal artistic language characterized by freedom of execution, delicate draftsmanship, and a particularly sensitive interpretation of the human figure.
In addition to his paintings, Cantarini excelled as a draftsman and engraver, disciplines in which he demonstrated remarkable inventiveness. His works are held in major institutions, including the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna, the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche in Urbino, and various European collections. His career, cut short by his untimely death in Verona in 1648, occupies a prominent place in the evolution of Italian Baroque classicism.