The image of angels, whose purpose is to serve God and fight against his enemies, is often used in art. Symbols of light and an invisible world adorn palaces, parks, temples, small figurines of cute figures with wings can be seen in houses. The amulets that protect the person have strong energy, and according to the teachings of Feng Shui, the angels give the owners strength and inspiration.
Messengers of the Lord
Images on the icons of intermediaries between the Lord and people take on religious significance, and in Christian cemeteries, statues of angels are erected in memory of departed relatives and narrate sorrow and love. To some extent, they carry a ritualistic meaning and are identified with the departed.
Historically, winged creatures are made of marble - a noble stone with excellent strength. Most often, angels have a snow-white color, symbolizing purity, but sculptures of other shades are also found.
Gloomy angel in a cemetery in Iowa City
Statues of angels in cemeteries are considered classics of ritual art. The guards guarding the graves freeze with outstretched wings, as if rushing to paradise. And in Iowa City (USA), a frightening statue crowns a family grave at the cemetery, around which there are many charming legends. In 1913, after the death of her son and husband, T.D. Feldievert ordered an unusual sculpture that stands out among other monuments of the necropolis.
Her powerful wings are not spread, and the black angel (statue) himself looks into the ground. Gloomy facial expressions and cold eyes cause visitors the only desire - to get out of here as soon as possible. According to legend, the ashes of a heartbroken woman were reunited with her relatives, and at the funeral, lightning suddenly struck the sculpture, after which the light statue turned black. Local residents believe that this happened for a reason, and blame the deceased for the murder of her son and husband. Allegedly, she was so punished for terrible sins. It is believed that the spirit of the criminal has infused the sculpture, and everyone who touches it does not die by its own death.
This is the most popular place in the cemetery, and students often come here at night, checking their courage.
"Reims Smile"
If the gloomy messenger of God brought incredible popularity to a small cemetery in Iowa , then Reims Cathedral is laughing. A smiling winged creature crowns the highest point of the temple, decorated with two thousand sculptures. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the marble statue of an angel overshadows the virtues of the remaining sculptures on the facade of the French religious monument .
The history of creation, located on the border between the spiritual and the material, is quite tragic. During the bombing of the city in 1914, a stone masterpiece fell from a height and crashed. The abbot of the temple carefully collected his remains and hid them in a hiding place, and only 12 years after the restoration, the laughing angel returned to its former place. He became a symbol of the cultural heritage of the country, destroyed by German barbarians. Reims's Smile embodies God's grace, and it seems that cold marble radiates heat.
Mischievous boy on the roof
If we talk about Russia, then St. Petersburg breaks all records in the number of God's messengers protecting their beloved city from misfortunes. Statues of angels attract the eyes of tourists, and each statue has its own story. One of the most unusual custodians settled in 2007 on the roof of the Lithuanian consulate, and this is a very cheerful angel, unfortunately, still inferior in popularity to Reims.
A funny mischievous person, hanging his legs down, invites you to visit Vilnius. The sculptor claims that he created a boy with black heels in the image of a real child. The dear angel holds fast to the roof, and he does not care at all about the strong winds and heavy rains of the glorious city on the Neva. They say that sometimes the boy winks, and those who saw this will have wonderful news.
Steel Messenger of Heaven
Modern statues of angels are often surprised by their architectural design, and the 20-meter sculpture that appeared in the English Gateshead is proof of this. This is a unique heavenly messenger whose wings are borrowed from a real Boeing.
The two hundred-ton “Angel of the North”, leaning forward a bit, as if preparing to soar into the sky, was installed in 2008 and at first provoked a negative reaction from local residents. However, today a steel monument located in the open air is considered the main attraction of northern Britain. True, many tourists who met with the work of the sculptor Gormley, compared the creation with a powerful cyborg.
Crying bronze angel
The grief that befell relatives who have lost a loved one is personified by the sculptures of crying angels installed on the graves. Grieving biblical characters eloquently express the feelings of people who have lost loved ones. However, there are statues that cry by no means at the behest of their creator, and this is what an unusual bronze statue installed in the cemetery in Cleveland (USA) is.
The crying angel of death, who holds an inverted torch in his hands, personifying life, produces a terrible sight for visitors. The figure guarding the grave is terrifying that the traces of metal oxidation, clearly visible on empty eye sockets, resemble bloody tears. The sculpture symbolizing the past life, placed on the grave of F. Heatherot, seems real and causes a lot of emotions.
Revived statues
Recently, the so-called living sculptures with which you can take pictures are gaining popularity. This art direction first appeared in Barcelona in the 70s of the last century. Actors took to the streets, depicting with the help of makeup, costumes, pantomime characters of Greek and Roman mythology.
Now the invited living statue serves as a real decoration of various presentations, holidays, corporate parties. An angel, a historical or fantastic character, frozen in a certain position, immediately captivates the eyes and causes genuine interest among visitors of all ages.
The sculptors did not even suspect that a new kind of art would appear, and living sculptures will accurately convey the image created many centuries ago.