Speaking of malevolent putti, as I was below, here is a picture of a pair of them dissecting a dog. Elsewhere in the image, of which this is a detail, another couple of cherubs are examining the entrails of a freshly-slaughtered hare. So, for your own good, don’t be taken in by their oh-so-cutesy appearance!
From the Wellcome Library, via Holly Tucker at the splendid Wonders & Marvels.
On the contray, it’s nice to see them engaged in some sort of intellectual activity, rather than hanging around clouds like bored teenagers. It is at their most cute I find them at their most malevolent.
G Riecke : Try telling that to the dog or the hare.