Works that have a cute/sentimental aesthetic might incorporate saturated lighter colors, airy scenes, charming characters, romantic or maudlin themes, and/or nostalgic attire. Distortions of form might tend toward idealization or toward the characteristics of a young child: large eyes, rosy round cheeks, and perfectly smooth skin.

An artist might manifest a cute/sentimental aesthetic in a piece due to his or her own personality, or the artist might choose this aesthetic as a reflection of the characters/objects/moment in history being portrayed. A cute/sentimental aesthetic might also be adopted to make a piece suitable for a setting or purpose that demands something schmaltzy.

Featured: Blind Man’s Bluff by Jean-Honore Fragonard.