An exceptional example of a Baroque religious putto, attributed to the Tyrol School, Austria, dating to the 17th or early 18th century. This masterfully carved wooden figure captures the exuberance and dynamism characteristic of the Baroque period, a time when religious sculpture was created to evoke emotion and spiritual devotion. The putto is depicted in mid-motion, its outstretched arm and expressive gaze adding a sense of movement and lifelike presence.

A putto is a cherubic, winged or wingless child-like figure frequently found in Renaissance and Baroque art, sculpture, and architectural ornamentation. Putti, often depicted in playful or reverent poses, originated from classical antiquity, where they were associated with Eros (the Roman Cupid). During the Italian Renaissance (14th-16th century), artists such as Donatello and Raphael revived the motif, integrating putti into both secular and religious compositions. By the Baroque period (17th-18th century), putti became prominent elements in church decorations, symbolizing divine presence, joy, and the celestial realm. In the Catholic tradition, putti were often used to embellish altarpieces, pulpits, ceiling frescoes, and religious processional sculptures, reinforcing the grandeur and emotional intensity of Counter-Reformation art. This particular example, with its dynamic posture and gilded drapery, exemplifies the dramatic theatricality of Baroque religious sculpture, designed to engage the viewer and draw them into a transcendent experience.

The Tyrol region, which today spans parts of Austria and northern Italy, became a major center for wood carving and religious sculpture from the late Middle Ages through the 19th century. By the 16th and 17th centuries, Tyrolean artisans were recognized for their highly skilled craftsmanship, producing altar figures, crucifixes, and devotional sculptures for churches and monasteries across Central Europe. The Tyrol School, active predominantly between the 17th and early 19th centuries, was particularly influenced by Italian Baroque sculpture, notably the works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), whose dramatic compositions emphasized movement, realism, and emotional intensity.

During the Counter-Reformation (16th-18th century), the Catholic Church commissioned elaborate sculptural programs to inspire devotion and reinforce Catholic doctrine in response to Protestant movements. Tyrolean sculptors, working within this religious fervor, created highly expressive, polychrome-painted wooden sculptures that mirrored the grandeur of Baroque altarpieces. Artisans in this school often used limewood or pine, materials abundant in the Alpine region, allowing for intricate detailing and realistic anatomical rendering.

The Hallstatt, Innsbruck, and Bolzano workshops were particularly notable centers of Tyrolean Baroque sculpture, producing works that combined Germanic naturalism with the ornate drama of Italian Baroque art. Many of these figures, including putti like this one, would have adorned cathedral ceilings, altars, or processional platforms, creating a visual connection between the earthly and the divine.

This piece, with its delicate polychrome facial features, elaborate curling locks, and rich gilded drapery, is a textbook example of 17th-18th century Tyrolean craftsmanship. The original mounting holes and iron hanging ring suggest it was once affixed to a larger ecclesiastical setting, possibly part of a pulpit canopy, choir loft, or altarpiece ensemble.

Artist: Tyrol School
Issued: Mid 17th-18th century
Dimensions: 18"L x 13.50"W x 27"H
Country of Origin: Austria and Italy
Provenance: Chapel near Lienz, Austria; John and Johanna Bass Collection, New York, NY; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, FL, 1963.

Age related wear. Gilding on the drapery has been professionally restored.