Angels, Putti & Cupids

The series is made almost entirely of small pieces, and each one turns on a single gesture. A plump putto stands on his head with feet in the air, another arches into a bridge, a third lies on his back with legs raised — acrobatics instead of a pose.

Four putti are told apart by what they hold: a posy of forget-me-nots, golden ears of wheat, bunches of red grapes, twigs beside a small fire.

The winged children are taken up with music and reading. One reclines on a cushion writing on a sheet of music with a quill, another holds a score and a blue flower, a third lies on his front over an open book. Two wall medallions shaped as small clouds show cherubs with a gilded mandolin and lyre, scrolls in hand.

The largest piece breaks the pattern: three putti at a grapevine — one reaching up for the bunches, two below gathering the harvest. The rest fit in the palm of a hand, seven to fourteen centimetres, painted sparely with gold on wings and attributes.