Entry 17

Victoria Memorial

By: Sir Aston Webb and Thomas Brock

White marble and bronze

82’ tall in total; Bronze statues stand 13’ high

London, England; Buckingham Palace

The Queen Victoria memorial is settled at the center of Queen’s Gardens directly in front of Buckingham Palace’s entrance. Completed in 1911, it was made of more than 2,300 tons of white marble. The large state of Queen Vitoria rests at the top facing north-eastwards toward The Mall. On either side of the monument feature dark bronze statues of three angels: the Angel of Justice, the Angel of Truth and the Angel of Charity. On the pinnacle is Victory with two seated figures, Courage and Constancy, the figures were a gift from the people of New Zealand. Because of this topping, the memorial has become known as the “wedding cake” by its illustrious decoration. The entire sculpture displays a nautical theme that matches the rest of the mall, which suggest the United Kingdom’s naval power. Standing around 82’ tall, the structure was underway in 1911 soon after the death of the queen and completed in 1911. It is the largest monument to a monarch in England. The Angel of Truth may be Amitiel, known for assisting in encouraging humans to find the truth in our desires and experiences and to use these truths as learning experiences rather than to be in denial. The Angel of Justice may be Nemamiah, who some consider to be an archangel, the protector of those who struggle for justice and for the right of those who cannot defend themselves. Nemamiah also inspires empathy into our hearts. Finally, the Angel of Charity may be Zadkiel, who radiates comfort to those who are in grieving, afraid or abounded. He is considered an Archangel and is said to be the angel in the Bible who prevented Abraham from sacrificing his own son to God. The memorial is best seen at night, when it is lit up and the contrasting metal and marble shows the magnificent statue in its full glory.

Resources:

http://www.aviewoncities.com/london/victoriamemorial.htm

http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/The%20House%20of%20Windsor%20from%201952/QueenElizabethTheQueenMother/MemorialProject/TheProject/FamousRoyalmemorials.aspx

http://www.triumphantchurch.org/beitmidrash/angelology.pdf

Entry 16

Abraham, Sarah, and the Angel

Jan Provost

1520

Oil on wood

71cm x58cm

Musée du Louvre, Paris

Abraham and Sarah are seen here as visited by an angel who expresses to them that Sarah would be giving birth to nations. The angel was sent to them by God to inform the couple of the impending birth of their son Isaac. The panel is incomplete since two of the three angels that came to announce the birth are missing. The lion at Abraham’s feet represents power, wisdom and justice. It is the symbol of the father, a master and guardian. The flowers seen at the bottom left of the painting represent the growing of new life in the mature soon-to-be-mother. Both Abraham and Sarah are dressed in red clothing which represents blood, the symbol of the life-principle. Red also represents the brilliant sun with its astounding strength and power. Abraham points to himself and to Sarah in disbelief as he is listening to the angel’s message. Sarah, standing in the doorway, has a faint smile on her face.

Resources:

http://cartelen.louvre.fr/cartelen/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=24007

Entry 15

Le murmure de l’ange (The Angel’s Whisper)

By: Benjamin Spence, 1857

68cm x 72cm

White Marble

Musseo d’Orsay

Based on a poem by Samuel Lover, Le murmure de l’ange tells of an Irish belief that when a baby smiles in their sleep, they are talking to an angel as the mother watches. “Her beads while she numbered, The baby still slumbered, And smiled in her face as she bended her knee; Oh! blessed be that warning, My child, thy sleep adorning, For I know that the angels are whispering with thee.” This classical piece of work is graceful and softened by a delicate romanticism. Spence portrays the baby on a draped mattress and the adoring angel with a precise knowledge of human composition in which the infant shows a natural sleeping pose and the angel lingers quietly forming a solid and balanced structure. Spence was an admirer of Neoclassicism and gained this passion from fellow sculpter John Gibson. Carefully watching Gibson’s techniques, Spence was able to create sculptures that accurately defined form smoothly enclosed by the light. Where Gibson was rigid, Spence styled his work to encompass sentimentality. Most of his works were not like his predecessors of mythology, but rather of Shakespearean characters, romantic English literature, and the Bible.

Resources:

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/sculpture/commentaire_id/the-angels-whisper-3140.html?tx_commentaire_pi1[pidLi]=842&tx_commentaire_pi1[from]=729&cHash=46bac0b6b2

http://books.google.it/books?id=FUBCGO85uygC&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=samuel+lover+"angels+whisper"&source=bl&ots=7k-x544ILM&sig=BtYjgZpMn90iTKukh-VtF-zsFwU&hl=en&ei=L929S8DnIYaMOMLLqYkK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=samuel%20lover%20%22angels%20whisper%22&f=false

Entry 8

Baldacchino (1624-1633)

Bernini

St. Peter's Basilica

Gilt bronze

About 100 feet high

St. Peter’s Basilica is designed to be centered around the Papal Altar, which is where only the Pope celebrates Mass. The ancient tomb of St. Peter lies directly below the altar. Rising above the altar is the magnificent bronze baldacchino, which was Bernini’s first piece of work in St. Peter’s. In total, it took nine years for Bernini to create the monument. The canopy rests atop four massive spiral columns, around 66 feet high, which are ornamented with branches of olive and bay along with cherubs. The twisted columns suggest upward movement towards the canopy. Above the frieze on each capital are four life-size angels offering garlands. Between the four main angels are couples of smaller angels that support the Pope’s emblems: the keys, the tiara, the book and the sword. The structure is detailed with motifs including heraldic emblems of the Barberini family, including bees and laurel leaves. The underside of the canopy directly above the pope is a radiant sun, which is another symbol of the Barberini family.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter's_baldachin

http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Altars/PapalAltar/PapalAltar.htm

Entry 7

Altar of St. Michael the Archangel

Artist Unknown

Duplicate of the 1642 painting by Guido Reni, Archangel Michael

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy

Mosaic

293 x 202cm

Artist Guido Reni was born in Bologna on November 4, 1575. At the age of 10, Reni began his apprenticeship under mannerist painter Denis Calvaert. His style was greatly influenced by the novel naturalism because of his time spent studying at a progressive art school run by the Carracci family, frescoes created by Raphael, and ancient Greco-Roman sculptures. In his religious and mythological works, Reni displayed Baroque liveliness and complexity with classical moderation, affectionate emotion, and delicate coloring. Reni’s painting of the Archangel Michael hangs in the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. A mosaic copy, dated 1757, of the painting was created a mere 125 years later and is in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican above the Altar of St Michael the Archangel. The duplicate is executed directly from the original, fully preserving the perfect beauty expressed by the artist. In his creation of the Archangel Michael, Reni depicts the angel as the armed and prepared guardian of Heaven and Earth against the eternal hostility of the challenger. It shows Michael trampling Satan, who has recognizable features to that of Giovanni Battista Pamphili, who was later elected as Pope Innocent X. The work was commissioned by Antonio Cardinal Barbernini, who was a fierce rival of Pamphili.

Resources

http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Altars/StMichaelArchangel/StMichaelArchangel.htm http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/498122/Guido-Reni

Entry 1

The Annunciation (1528)

Benvenuto Tisi, aka Il Garofalo

Capitoline Museum, Rome

oil on canvas

approximately 6'x4'

Benvenuto Tisi, also known as Il Garofalo, was born in Ferrara, Italy, in 1481. He studied under a variety of different teachers, including Boccaccino and Romano. These teachers added elements of strong Venetian coloring and a classical, stylized emphasis to his style of painting. This particular painting exemplifies both of these stylistic elements; the coloring is vivid, and the figures depicted have classical features. Mary is dressed in simple clothing, while Gabriel wears rich colors and gold embellishment, including golden footwear. A faint halo surrounds Mary's head, as in many other works of art. God the Father looks on from the top left corner of the painting, while the baby Jesus, carrying a cross, looks as if He is beginning His descent to Earth. A dove, representing the Holy Spirit, is captured mid-flight. On the lower right side of the painting, a cat and a hearth imply that Mary lives a simply, homely life, while the angel Gabriel offers her white lilies, symbolizing her purity. Two columns split the painting; these could serve as both separation between Mary's earthly life and the heavenly beings, and also it could symbolize the church and how important this scene is to the church.

Resources

http://www.artexpertswebsite.com/pages/artists/garofalo.php

http://mwurtz.blogspot.com/2010/02/capitoline-museum.html

http://www.teleflora.com/about-flowers/lily.asp