When did Angels first appear stylised as babies, and why?

by Sheepocalypse

Thinking of the classic image of an angel, it seems a lot of artists from the Renaissance era depicted Angels as babies, sometimes equipped with wings. The word 'cherubic' came to mean babylike or soft and rounded.

When did this image appear, and why? It is obviously a far cry from the description of Angels in Biblical texts (golden skin, burning swords) and does little to portray the power they were written to have.

Searocksandtrees