[poo-toh; It. poot-taw] 
[-tee] . Fine Arts. | a representation of a cherubic infant, often shown winged. |
| put·ti (pōō'tē) n. Plural of putto. |
| put·to (pōō'tō) n. pl. put·ti (-tē) A representation of a small child, often naked and having wings, used especially in the art of the European Renaissance. [Italian, boy, from Vulgar Latin *puttus, from Latin putus; see pau-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
putti
a nude, chubby child figure, often with wings, frequently appearing in both mythological and religious paintings and sculpture, especially of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Derived from personifications of love, or Eros figures, in Greek and Roman art, putti came to be used to portray cherubim in Italian paintings of the 15th century, especially those of the Madonna and Child. With the revival of classical mythological subjects in the late 15th century, Cupid was commonly represented as a putto, and numbers of anonymous putti were frequently depicted in attendance on various immortals.
Learn more about putti with a free trial on Britannica.com.