Putto in sculpted marble. Completely nude, the Child has an - Lot 349

Putto in sculpted marble. Completely nude, the Child has an oval face, a snub nose, a fleshy, half-open mouth, round cheeks and a double chin. His hair falls in wavy locks to the nape of his neck. The body is excessively round, with chubby limbs. Genoese school, late 17th century H. 85 cm (accidents and missing parts, including the arms) This work, undoubtedly part of a large altarpiece, is remarkable for the extreme fleshiness of the child. The shape of the face, and in particular the highly upturned nose, is reminiscent of the atlatls on the Toulon town hall, delivered in 1657 by sculptor Pierre Puget (1620 - 1694) (fig. a). He had a Genoese period, during which he formed a workshop that continued to work in his spirit. But above all, in 1679, Puget sent a Virgin and Child (fig. b) to a Genoese lord whose name is not certain. This Virgin is located in the private chapel of the Balbi palace. It is now in the Museo di Saint'Agostino (inv n° MSA 3670). The Child in this sculpture is modeled with the same vigor as the cherub shown here. It's possible that this work is related to Pierre Puget, who delivered numerous masterpieces in Genoa, and from whom the sculptors drew much inspiration. Book consulted: Klaus Herding, revised edition by Geneviève Bresc-Bautier,Pierre Puget (1620-1694), l'artiste et son oeuvre 1, Dijon, 2023, pp 231