Restored in 1991 with Save Venice general funds.

Giovanni Comin came from a family of sculptors that originated on the mainland city of Treviso in the Veneto. Giovanni executed works for a number of altarpieces throughout Venice and the Venetian mainland territories, works that often included groups of putti.

Here the artist has demonstrated his skill in rendering the pudgy flesh of a young child while imbuing it with an attitude that is both joyful and elegant. The putto reclines upon a piece of drapery that lies upon the ground, which is adorned with blades of grass and flowers. His gaze directly engages the viewer, capturing his or her attention and presumably directing it towards the altarpiece as a whole.

The work was restored by conservators from the Marchetto e Bortolaso restoration firm, with the guidance of project director Ettore Merkel of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Giovanni Comin (c. 1647–1695) [attr.]
Reclining Putto
Late seventeenth century, marble
21 x 45 cm

Chorus Association: Church of Santo Stefano