Cleveland Museum of Art

Angel

Date

c. 1250

Medium

walnut with traces of gilding and polychromy

Culture

France, vicinity of Reims, 13th century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Surviving in fragmentary condition, this pair of angels lacks lower arms, hands, wings, and attributes. Their original paint and gilding, now almost entirely lost, once rendered their garments a rich brocade and their hair a luxuriant gold. Nonetheless, in their graceful poses and sublime faces—which may portray tragic interest, anguish, or deep concern—their original delicacy and power are still evident. They embody the monumental style of 13th-century High Gothic cathedral sculpture in France. Their style specifically suggests they were carved in or around Reims, possibly by sculptors associated with the cathedral there. Their original placement is unknown, but they may have flanked an altar on columns.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.