Three Cupids Holding a Helmet
Original title: Three Cupids Holding a Helmet
kurzbeschreibung
Louis Félix de La Rue (1730–1777) shows three winged boys in his etching Drei Putten mit einem Helm, carrying a helmet together. The undated print, made with etching and engraving, belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Description
Two putti in the foreground support the helmet, one with the left hand, the other with the right. A third putto stands behind them, looking down at the pair. All three are barefoot and have wings, which marks them as angels. Diagonal hatching covers the background, giving it a textured surface. The image is monochrome; lines of varying density create contrasts of light and dark.
Context
La Rue worked in the eighteenth century as a French draughtsman, etcher and sculptor. His oeuvre includes many ornamental and mythological subjects that sit between Rococo and Neoclassicism. Putti with military gear such as helmets were a common motif in the 1700s and pointed to the link between love and war. The exact date of this print is not recorded.
Impact
The helmet as the central object and the symmetrical arrangement of the putti give the layout balance and calm. Fine lines and restrained shading lend it an elegant, almost graphic lightness. Playful grace and classical severity of form meet here.
Technique
The lines were etched into a metal plate and then reworked with a burin to bring out details and shadows. This process combines etching and engraving. The print was pulled on paper; the plate reverses the image.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)