Art history minor Gwen Himes has been invited to present her paper, "Putti in the Baroque: The Wise Fools in the Age of Excess," at the 2021 SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC).
Pictured: Diego Velzquez, Rokeby Venus, 1647-51.
Gwen was invited to participate for her research into what are known as putti, small naked boyssometimes winged and sometimes notthat adorn artwork from antiquity to present. Their inclusion in Baroque art has largely been ignored by art historians, except to briefly note their role in sacred images. Gwen's essay is the first to systematically determine the role of these playful beings, and she has also taken the first tentative steps towards a taxonomy.
SURC brings together undergraduate students and faculty mentors from across the SUNY system for a full day of activities. It is generally relegated to students and faculty in the New York University system, so it is quite an honor for a student outside of New York to be invited to participate.
Theseventh annual SURC in 2021 will be held online as a virtual conference hosted by SUNY Old Westbury onFriday, April 16.