Cherubs (Art)

At the end of the summer vacation season Puck annually chronicled the disappointing results and unfulfilled romantic hopes of young men and women. The figure of Puck invites readers to visit little cupids disassembling the settings of lovers’ scenes; of a young woman discovering that her engagement ring, and its giver, are false; and the stereotypical hosts of bucolic getaways return to normal pursuits.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The end of summer was frequently memorialized by Puck not by comments on the weather, or by addressing the resumption of college, but by the end of the social convention of rural vacations at resorts — often engaged by young adults seeking romance. The virtually constant observations addressed failed romances, broken promises, and disappointments.

Three women are bathing putti with bars of soap and hanging them by their wings on a line to dry.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-07-04

A well dressed old man wearing a top hat and spats lies on his back, bouncing the earth on his feet. In the foreground is a doctor’s bag with various instruments (he may have given himself an injection), and on the left is a weeping cherub. His bowstring is broken and his arrows have fallen on the ground.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-06-18

Father Time ushers out an old man labeled “1911.” He is surprised when he looks over his shoulder at the arrival of “1912” and sees a female Baby New Year wearing a hat and furs and holding a paper that states “Happy New Year Votes for Women.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-12-27