A small nude child figure derived from classical Eros or genius imagery and revived in Renaissance art; putti may function as secular spirits, decorative figures, or Christianized attendants but are not literally the biblical order of Cherubim.
A putto is a small nude child figure, often winged, derived from classical imagery and revived during the Renaissance. Putti became ubiquitous in Renaissance and Baroque sculpture as playful spirits, allegorical attendants, bearers of garlands or heraldry, and eventually as participants in Christian decorative programs.
A putto is not the same thing as the biblical Cherubim, despite the common modern habit of calling winged putti “cherubs.”
Etymology
From Italian putto, “boy” or “child,” related to Latin putus.
Sculptor Notes
Putti require real infant anatomy, not miniature adult anatomy. The cranium is proportionally large, limbs short and soft, joints padded, abdomen prominent, and gesture broad. Their apparent ease is technically demanding.
References
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/191176