Two Putti

Two Putti (1490–1510) by Matteo di Giovanni depicts a pair of cherubic infants drawn from the classical vocabulary that permeated Italian Renaissance art. Putti — nude winged infants derived from ancient Roman sculpture and popularized in Florentine art — appeared on altarpieces, cassoni, and architectural decoration throughout the fifteenth century. Matteo di Giovanni's version shows the Sienese absorption of this Florentine motif, adapted to the local taste for linear elegance and decorative refinement. The panel likely formed part of a larger decorative ensemble — perhaps a choir enclosure, domestic furniture, or the base of an altarpiece — where these playful figures provided visual relief from more solemn subjects.

The small panel shows Matteo di Giovanni's technique at its most delicate, rendering the infant figures with soft, luminous flesh tones and careful anatomical observation. The tempera or oil medium creates a refined, luminous surface appropriate to the decorative function of the charming subject.