A Pair of Putti

The upside of using the OED WOTD to inform my blog is that I am inspired to go and look for things. The downside is that on days like today, when I have other commitments, there is no time to dedicate to searching for the right pic. Today’s word was putto ‘a representation of a child, usually a boy, naked or in swaddling clothes; a cherub, a cupid’ (OED). There are endless opportunities for Londoners to see putti (pl. form of Putto), but I couldn’t take advantage of them. I dashed to the Brompton Cemetery, as I knew I’d get a shot there, alas … the gates were padlocked and I was too late. But as luck would have it, on the way home, I spotted a pair of putti in the local antique/junk (depending on your point of view and purse) shop. As it was closed, I had to make do with a window shot – will try harder tomorrow!! One of the things I enjoy, about reading the word of the day email, is looking at how usage has changed over the years. For example, in 1914, I suspect the sentence ‘nude putto playing with a goat’ was entirely innocent.

Day #14 of a 365 project, where the daily pic is informed by the OED word of the day.