The heavenly spirits and messengers of God, which people often turn to for help, have always occupied a special place in legends and different religions. The guardian angels, endowed with special power, are intermediaries between man and the Lord. Beings of a higher order descending from heaven follow the actions of earthly inhabitants, protecting them from adversity.
People, inspired by the angels constantly present in life, created sculptures, icons, and paintings in their honor that caught the eye.
In our article, we will talk about interesting sculptures that cause a different reaction.
Bridge of the Holy Angel
In 134 AD, a five-arch bridge was erected in Rome, combining the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, which became his tomb, and the banks of the Tiber River. There is a legend about how at the top of the castle that became the residence of the Roman popes, the archangel Michael appeared, who announced the end of the plague that swept the ancient city. After this, the mausoleum was called the Castle of the Holy Angel.
The bridge, which became a kind of transition from secular life to the shrines of the Vatican, after the installation of sculptural images of the messengers of God on it, symbolized the history of the suffering of Jesus. Marble sculptures are located at the very beginning of the bridge.
Symbols of the sufferings of Christ
The sculpture of an angel with a pillar symbolized the flagellation of Christ. Bernini's heavenly messenger, from his last strength, holds a heavy load in the strongest wind, symbolizing his devotion to the chosen cause.
The angel, showing the audience the nails with which Jesus was nailed to the cross, is unique and interesting in disproportionate proportions. A small head compared to the body differs from other compositions. The folds of multilayer clothing fluttering in the wind move in different directions and do not look consistent.
A marble sculpture of an angel holding a huge cross carries an important meaning of the Christian faith. The wings lying behind the shoulders do not flutter, and it seems that they lack volume. A special emotional effect is enhanced by the inclination of the cross against the wind. The sculptures of angels created in the Baroque style (photo presented in the article) delight and serve as an inspiration for creative natures.
St. Petersburg angel
None of us have seen the messengers of God and do not know exactly what they look like. The most common image of an angel is a creature in white robes with outstretched wings behind its back. However, when a celestial guardian appeared on one of the benches of the Izmailovsky Garden in St. Petersburg, he was very different from his usual ideas.
Visitors saw a friendly grandfather, modest and neatly dressed. His clothes - an old coat, unfashionable hat and boots, a long scarf - suggests that he is an ordinary resident of the cultural capital. An umbrella, which he holds in one hand, and a book in the other emphasize the exact location of an unusual hero.
Dedication to a generation that has preserved love for one's neighbor
The only detail that sets him apart from the crowd of ordinary residents of St. Petersburg is the wings behind the back of an elderly man, equating him with celestial creatures.
A small sculpture of an angel is a kind of dedication to a generation that has withstood difficult trials, while maintaining intelligence and responsiveness. An inexpressibly touching work of art is a collective image of Petersburg pensioners who have not lost openness and love for their neighbors. Locals and tourists come to the angel’s monument, which has become legendary, leaving grandfather on his lap according to the customary tradition.
Sculptures on graves
Angels, as guides of the will of the Lord, have always protected the human soul. It is no coincidence that relatives of the deceased love to install them in cemeteries in order to protect the peace of a loved one. And this is not just a beautiful image on the grave, but a work of art that carries great meaning.
We cannot help telling about unusual sculptures of angels from around the world installed on graveyards. And the most intimidating is the bronze figure guarding the grave in Cleveland. The black angel of death, holding an inverted torch in his hands, makes an eerie impression.
Traces of bronze oxidation, reminiscent of bloody tears from empty eye sockets, bring real horror to visitors. The symbol of a bygone life is bewitching and is considered one of the main cemetery Gothic figures.
Realistic Tombstones
In the city of Cologne is the Melaten cemetery, known throughout the world for its sculptural ensembles. Looking almost like living angels in sculpture and relief, they keep eternal peace, admiring the special realism of volumetric details. Each tombstone is a story that has its roots in the Middle Ages. Thousands of innocent victims executed during the time of the Inquisition are known.
But the main part of the graves was erected in the 19th – 20th centuries in a neo-Gothic and modernist style. The unique cemetery, where the statues of mourning dead angels and sarcastically smiling demons are frozen, attracts tourists from all over the world who want to find themselves in a mysterious world where death rules.
Often in cemeteries, mourning sculptures of pigeons and angels made of white marble are installed. Symbols of integrity and eternal love perpetuate for centuries the memory of loved ones who have lost a loved one.
Dead fallen angel
But the most, perhaps, hyper-realistic sculpture was the work of Beijing designers who create their installations from parts of the human body and even corpses. In this creation, organic matter was not used, but from this it did not become less truthful.
The frightening sculpture of an angel in the form of a dead elderly woman entangled in woven nets, according to the authors' idea, symbolizes the helplessness of an extraterrestrial being. People who believe in a messenger from heaven will not wait for his help, and the will of God will not reach the laity.
The designers admitted that they really wanted to show the realism of their sculpture, made of a special gel, and to convey the transition from extraterrestrial to worldly.