How can you tell the difference between Roman cherub, amorini, and putti?

How can you tell the difference between Roman cherub, amorini, and putti?

• A. Cherubs: Bow and Arrow; Amorini: Wings; Putti: Neither.
• B. Cherubs: Wings; Amorini: Bow; Putti: Wings.
• C. Cherubs: Bow; Amorini: Wings; Putti: Bow and wings.
• D. All three have wings.

Answer: (A)

You’re being asked to distinguish three related terms for winged infant figures in European art by their typical attributes. Cherubs are the Cupid-like figures most often shown with a bow and arrow—the symbol of love. Amorini are the smaller winged loves whose defining feature in this framing is their wings. Putti are decorative chubby youngsters used in architecture and painting and, in this grouping, are treated as not having wings. So the combination that matches these visual cues is: cherubs with a bow and arrow, amorini with wings, putti without wings. While real-world usage can vary by period and artist, this set uses those iconographic cues to tell them apart.

You’re being asked to distinguish three related terms for winged infant figures in European art by their typical attributes. Cherubs are the Cupid-like figures most often shown with a bow and arrow—the symbol of love. Amorini are the smaller winged loves whose defining feature in this framing is their wings. Putti are decorative chubby youngsters used in architecture and painting and, in this grouping, are treated as not having wings. So the combination that matches these visual cues is: cherubs with a bow and arrow, amorini with wings, putti without wings. While real-world usage can vary by period and artist, this set uses those iconographic cues to tell them apart.