Powolny’s putti

Yesterday’s post looked at gargoyles, so today I will move from ‘the dark to the light’ and look at the other carved objects we might find overhead – putti.

A putto (putti in the plural) is an art motif that is usually depicted as a naked, chubby winged male child. The word originates from the Latin ‘putus’ meaning boy or child. These cheerful or cheeky chubsters have regularly appeared in popular culture from the ancient classical world to contemporary Disney movies and Valentine’s Day cards. Over the ages, the very versatile youngsters have served many artistic functions ranging from the sacred to the secular.  

In the ancient classical world, winged infants were physical manifestations of spirits known as ‘genii’ believed to be capable of influencing human lives. Sometimes they appeared with Venus, the goddess of love, and were then known as erote. When seen engaging in revelry with Dionysius they represented fertility and abundance. In the Lekythos in the NGV collection the function of the winged figure may relate to the role of ‘soul animation’ in the afterlife as one of the main uses of a lekythos was to anoint the dead body of an unmarried woman.

Putti disappeared during the medieval period and were next seen in early Renaissance Italy. The renewed interest in the sculpture and funereal objects of the classical world saw a revival of architectural ornamentations known as reggifestone and reggistemma to adorn churches and public buildings. In the former, putti hold floral garlands and, in the latter, pairs of flying putti flank shields, crests or scroll with text. From the 15^th century onwards, the iconography of Cupid (god of love and erotic desire) becomes increasingly indistinguishable from that of the putto – and reggifestone will appear in paintings including portraiture.

During the early Renaissance, Donatello was the most influential artist in the popularisation of putti as he integrated this element into his art as a participant and not merely adornment. Donatello referred to his putti as ‘spiritelli’ which highlighted their animating function – whether through emotion or thought.

Most putti during the Renaissance served a decorative or ornamental function in both religious and secular works. In Christian art, when presented in a Bacchanalian context with grapes and wine, they became the symbol of Christ’s blood and sacrifice. If seen fluttering around the head of the Virgin Mary they reminded the viewer of ‘purity of spirit’ If, with the infant Jesus, the depiction is thought to have provided solace to the parents of infants who died young – as there was a popular belief that angels are the ascended souls of infants who die in a state of grace.

The meaning attached to putti was left open and they were depicted in many different ways depending on the message that was to be conveyed. They were commonly seen hovering around people whether awake or asleep as harbingers of love and passion when connected with Venus. Musical putti were the spirits of music that ‘quickened the hearbeat and stirred the soul’.

When shown astride or holding a dolphin, or with river gods, they represented water sprites providing the essence of water as a life-giving force.

The ‘larvate’ was a prankster putto. This putto wore a mask (usually the ugly-faced Silenus, companion of Bacchus) which was used to unnecessarily scare, trick or entice others and arouse tensions without any obvious underlying causes. Interestingly, ‘larvate’ is a term used in medicine for something which is undeveloped, hidden or atypical.

Putti have experienced several ‘revivals’ in art. They are seen across Europe in Mannerist and Baroque art, in French paintings of the rococo period and also feature prominently in the porcelain sculptures of Michael Powolny.

Michael Powolny (1871-1954) was a modern Austrian sculptor and ceramicist and considered as a pioneer of Austrian ceramics at the start of the 20^th century. Born in Judenburg to a father who was a potter, he initially learned his craft as an apprentice in his father’s workshop. However, with his father’s early death, he continued his training with the Sommerhuber company, the Technical College for Pottery in Znaim and the School of Arts and Crafts in Vienna.

By 1906 Powolny was extremely accomplished and well-regarded, having shown works at the Paris World’s Fair in 1900.  As a result, he and his colleague, Bertold Löffler, founded the Wiener Keramik whose works were sold by the Wiener Werkstätte. This company merged with Gmunder Keramik in 1913 in order to supply the demand for the works produced. Eventually, due to the popularity of ceramics in Austria (and increasingly around the world), the Wiener Werkstätte developed its own ceramics workshops in 1916.

Apart from making ceramic sculptures, Powolny taught at Vienna’s School of Arts and Crafts from 1909 to 1936 – including as Professor of Ceramics and as Head of the specialist course for sculpture and glasswork. From 1936 to 1939 he was a member of the Viennese Secession and continued again with it, when it was re-established after the Second World War in 1946.

Given his recognition and connections in the artistic world of Vienna, it is not surprising that Powolny collaborated with Josef Hoffmann on a number of projects including the furnishings for the Cabaret Fledermaus, the Villa Skywa-Primavesi and the Palais Stoclet. The National Gallery of Victoria has 23 works by Powolny in the collection.

The ‘putto motif’ plays a major role in the artist’s overall work and is today associated with his name throughout the world. For example, Powolny symbolised the theme of the ‘Four Seasons’ with putti in different versions – initially in colour and later in  black and white (following the fashion for black and white established by Josef Hoffmann).  The geometrical flower motifs in ‘Spring’ and ‘Winter’ are influenced by Gustav Klimt’s cascades of flowers. As symbols, they reference the ‘sacred spring’ of the Viennese Secession movement – the geometry differentiating the movement from Art Nouveau style.

While Powolny would ‘pressgang’ putti into service for many of his works including centrepieces:

This overlooks his strikingly beautiful romantic and religious works:

Powolny’s putti and other works depict an extraordinary personification of the human spirit and emotion, and are much more than just an endearing sentimental symbol of love.