Sleeping Putto

The subject can most likely be identified as the Christ Child, recognizable by the halo encircling his head. The pose of the figure closely recalls the traditional iconography of the Sleeping Cupid.

Putti and young children recur frequently throughout Roncalli’s oeuvre, and numerous preparatory studies and sketches of children’s poses and heads survive. These were intended for compositions by Pomarancio, including the decoration of the Treasury Room and the dome of the Basilica of Loreto (1). Among them, a Head of an Angel bears a striking resemblance to the face of Christ in the present painting (2).

The attribution of the painting to Pomarancio is due to Massimo Pulini, to whom we wish to express our gratitude. Pulini also identified a red-chalk study of a young boy’s head in the British Museum, previously catalogued as anonymous, as a preparatory study for the figure of the sleeping Christ (3).

Another painting of the same subject is also known, although it differs significantly in composition, most notably in the position of the Child and in the inclusion of the Virgin and Saint Joseph. This work was attributed to Roncalli by Federico Zeri (4).