Angels-ARCHITECTURE, ANGELS IN

Angels are an essential feature in religious art and architecture; in
sacred structures angels are depicted in frescoes, mosaics, sculpture, or
as ornaments for liturgical accoutrements. In secular architecture
angels often appear as painted or sculpted details on such items as corbels
or brackets, or accompanied by arabesques (flowing, fancifully
intertwined branches of flowers and leaves) or scrolling on plasterwork,
or incorporated into other architectural elements.
Angels in Classical Architecture
In ancient Greece and Rome the winged motif symbolized victory.
Winged figures frequently were used in classical vase paintings, wall
paintings, and sculpture. The most notable example of this motif is
the winged goddess of victory, Nike of Samothrace, circa 190 B.C.,
which currently stands in the Louvre in Paris. Several such winged figures
are featured on the marble frieze from the Alter of Zeus and
Athena erected in about 180 B.C. (now in the Staatliche Museen in
Berlin), which dramatically illustrates The Battle of Gods and Giants in
seven-foot-high panels.
The excavations at the site of the ancient cities of Herculaneum
in 1738 and Pompeii in 1748 in what is now Italy uncovered numerous
well-preserved frescoes and mosaics, some of which depict winged
figures.
In A.D. 79 the cities were covered with ash from the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius, however, the interiors of a large number of structures
remained preserved. Excavations reveal that public and private structures
featured large, brilliantly colored murals; because of the small
number of doors and windows in these structures, a considerable
amount of wall space remained that was suitable for decoration. Walls
in a structure excavated at Pompeii, now known as the Villa dei Misteri,
display scenes of winged figures and humans carrying out what is
believed to be some mysterious rite; the room itself is thought to have
been used as a banquet room or possibly a place for the celebration of
a Dionysian cult. The winged figures along the frieze are painted in
the relief style set against a red background. Similar wall painting
exists at other sites in Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Angels in Early Christian Architecture
Prior to the middle of the fourth century, Christian angels were
portrayed as wingless beings. Some art historians claim that the
winged Roman goddess of victory was first transformed into a winged
Christian angel in Assyria and that the concept then spread via Asia Minor to western Europe. However, there is no conclusive evidence to
support this claim.
Nevertheless, the architecture of the Christian church utilizes an
abundance of Biblical scenes that portray angels; in particular artists
worked from theologian’s concept of angels. The old church represented
angels as wingless harbingers, as wanderers with a staff, or as young
men clothed in simple tunics, as evident in the Priscilla catacomb of
Rome. The catacombs, a vast network of chambers running beneath
the city of Rome, contain many small rooms called cubicula, which
were decorated with brightly painted frescoes. It is believed that during
the period of Christian persecution these cubicula were used as chapels.
In A.D. 325 Constantine established Christianity as the official
religion of the Roman empire and the churches built during his reign
feature brilliantly colored mosaics portraying angels.
In addition to mosaics, angels and other figures were carved into
the capitals of columns as architects of this period departed from the
classical Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders. Winged figures known
as genii, often appeared on Christian sarcophagi and on other relics as
symbols of the victory of good over evil. Other themes featuring
Christian angels included the Visitation of Mary, the mother of
Christ, by angels; angels announcing the incarnation of Christ;
Christ’s Ascension accompanied by angels; Christ enthroned in glory
surrounded by angels; angels singing praises; and the angel whose
sword protects the church against evildoers.
Charlemagne, like Constantine, desired to create a unified Christendom
and produced an environment in which the depiction of
angels flourished; the Holy Roman empire existed as a central force in
Europe for over one thousand years. The Imperial Diptych, an ivory
carving from Constantinople dating to around A.D. 500 and believed
to have come from the so-called “Place of Charlemagne,” features two
winged figures typical of the time.
Ottonian architecture of the tenth century followed the course set
by its Carolingian predecessors. Several examples of Ottonian architecture
exist, including the abbey church of Saint Michael in
Hildesheim, Germany. The nave at Saint Michael’s features a painted
ceiling illustrating several biblical scenes containing angels.
The Byzantine style, which first appeared in the fourth century,
was a synthesis of Hellenistic and Eastern influences. The exterior
wall surfaces of Byzantine structures were often ornamented with relief
carvings. Church interiors featured brightly painted colored mosaics,
marble veneering, or frescoes depicting episodes in the life of Christ,
the apostles, saints, and martyrs, other narratives from the Bible, or
ceremonial scenes of the time. Early in the sixth century the Italian
city of Ravenna was made the western seat of the Byzantine empire.
Examples of Byzantine depictions of angels can be found in the apse
mosaics of San Vitale, built between 527 and 547. One mosaic features
Christ seated between angels and saints.
The apse mosaic of the Cathedral of Torcello shows an angel high
above the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ. In 726 an edict of Leo
III banned religious imagery in the Byzantine empire. The iconoclastic
debate was influenced in part by the rise of Islam and its nonrepresentational
art. The ban was lifted in 843.
Angels in the Architecture of the Eastern Church
Angels of the Eastern Church were depicted as dignified protectors,
never as female or children. Seraphim were portrayed as having six
wings covering their body so that only the head was visible; cherubim
were portrayed as having four wings; ordinary angels had only two
wings. In Asia Minor the adoration of angels was customary, and
churches built in honor of angels were known throughout. (The archangel Michael was the first to be adored by a
cult.) Depictions of Michael and Gabriel, in particular,
became fixtures at church entrances.
Angels in Romanesque Architecture
Architecture during the late eleventh and
early twelfth centuries represented a revived
interest in the architecture and construction
principles of ancient Rome; the style developed
as a direct response to the liturgical needs of the
church. The carvings at Saint Pierre Cathedral in
Angoulême, built between 1115 and 1135, serve
as an excellent example of the illustrative style of
the period. The tympanum of the south portal
illustrates the Second Coming of Christ, with
Christ enthroned and flanked by Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John, and an attendant angel holding a
record of the deeds of humankind. Angels are
similarly treated in a portal at Saint Lazare, which
dates to ca. 1130, in Autun, France.
Angels in Gothic Architecture
The style first referred to as Gothic flourished
from about 1150 to 1420 in Italy, and to
1500 in Northern Europe. The Gothic style originated in the church
architecture of the Burgundy and Normandy regions of what is now
France. Such architectural innovations as the development of the rib
vault and the flying buttress led to the building of higher, lighter structures.
The system of flying buttresses further developed into a system
of semi-arches adorned with pinnacles and statues. The use of stained
glass further added to the lightness of Gothic structures. The period
also witnessed the increased adoration of the Virgin Mary, the Mother
of Heaven, who was often depicted in the company of angels. The
three west portals of Chartres Cathedral (built between 1194–1220)
show Christ in majesty with the Virgin Mary, Christ’s Ascension into
heaven, and his Second Coming. Angels are prominently featured.
The north portal of the west façade illustrates Christ’s Ascension—
Christ is pictured in the tympanum’s center supported by angels,
above a portal filled with flying angels addressing the seated apostles.
Angels in Renaissance Architecture
The period known as the Renaissance actually consists of three
eras: the early Renaissance (1420 to 1500), the High Renaissance (1500 to 1550), and the Late Renaissance, or
Age of Mannerism (1530 to 1600). The period
was a time of revived interest in classical ideas;
buildings during this period reflected a fascination
with ancient Greece and Rome. Included
among the period’s most significant developments
in the area of the arts and architecture
were the exercises in perspective and in classical
proportions.
The repertoire of Renaissance motifs included
garlands, scrollwork, nymphs, and
winged forms. Angel-like forms, reminiscent of
those of ancient Rome, were included among
the carved figures that crown the porches and
pediments of the Villa Rotunda (built between
1550 and 1553) near Vicenza, Italy and the
San Giorgio Maggiore (built in 1656) designed
by Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. The
work of Palladio served as inspiration for architects
of the much later Georgian period (1714
to 1830). Similar motifs appear in the work of
the English architect and furniture maker
Robert Adams.
The depiction of little angels with robes
and long trains of garland became popular during the Renaissance, as
well as the use of putti, or children’s heads with wings. Feminine
angels were first represented during this period; from this point
onward the concept of angels as female beings became increasingly
frequent. Cherubs in the company of the Madonna and Child was
another recurrent image. The marble tomb of Leonardo Bruni sculpted
by Bernardo Rossellino features on its side two winged figures supporting
an inscribed tablet and is crowned with two winged genii holding
an escutcheon atop the great arch surrounding the tomb. The
tympanum shows the Madonna and Child with two cherubim, and
the base of the tomb features a rank of cherubim bearing garland.
Angels in Baroque and Rococo Architecture
The Baroque style flourished from about 1600 to about 1770; the
later phase of the Baroque is often referred to as the Rococo and lasted
from about 1720 to the period’s close. The Baroque was an outgrowth
of the aesthetic concepts developed during the Renaissance. Ornamentation
abounds in Baroque and Rococo architecture and the decorative
arts, often in the form of three-dimensional elements emanating from the structure’s surfaces. Extensive use of frescoes for walls and
ceiling and elaborate molding were typical during the period.
Representative of the Baroque, two massive marble female angels
wielding trumpets crown the arched entry to Scala Regina, the monumental
stairway leading to the papal apartments in the Vatican,
designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini and built between 1663 and 1666.
The baldacchino, the massive canopy above the altar of Saint Peter’s,
also designed by Bernini and built between 1624 and 1633, is supported
by four spiral columns topped by four colossal angels standing guard.
The Rococo was essentially an interior style carried out in furniture
and the decorative arts. Delicate, undulating lines and sinuous
curves were characteristic of the style; gilded moldings, ormolu (goldcolored
furniture mounts), and relief sculpture were also typical. The
ceiling fresco at the Villa Pisani in Stra, Italy, titled The Apotheosis of
the Pisani Family is an exceptional example of the Rococo treatment of
angels. Painted by Giambattista Tiepolo in 1761, the fresco depicts
angels of all types fluttering through sunlit skies and resting on clouds.
Angels in Romantic Classical Architecture
The nineteenth century was a period of romantic nationalism
inspired by the past and the influences of ancient Rome is evident in
much of the architecture and decorative arts of the period; many of
the symbols of the French Revolution were borrowed from ancient
Rome. Frequently used motifs included military insignia, crossed
swords, arrows, and winged figures.
Arc de Triomphe built between 1806 and 1836 and designed by
Jean François Therèse Chalgrin, features four massive high-relief and
several smaller bas-reliefs illustrating scenes from the Republic’s history.
One of the large reliefs by artist François Rude, The Departure of
the Volunteers or La Marseillaise, shows French volunteers (dressed in
classical attire) being led by the winged goddess of liberty to defend
the new Republic from foreign enemies. Winged figures also crown
the richly ornamented façade of the Paris Opéra (Académie Nationale
de Musique), another treasure of French romanticism built between
1861 and 1874 by Charles Garnier.
Angels in Victorian Architecture
The Victorians displayed considerable originality in ornamentation
and it may even be said that they made the greatest contribution
to architectural ornamentation and the decorative arts. Revived interest
in the Gothic, Rococo, and classical styles encouraged the use of
ornamental grotesques, monsters, and even angels. Large parts of façades of Victorian structures were used to illustrate mythological
scenes and other stories. Buildings often were clad with carved terra
cotta panels, terra cotta and brick sculpture, mosaic, or ceramic tile.
Scenes of cherubs with garland trailing discretely over their bodies
were typical, for Victorians regarded such ornamentation charming.
In addition to the architecture inspired by the revival movements
of the Victorian age, angel-like figures were well suited to the Art
Nouveau, a style that flourished from about 1890 to World War I. The
Art Nouveau as an ornamental style was based on organic forms, especially
those suggesting movement. Flowing, organic winged forms
were typical not only in exterior architecture details but in furniture,
textiles, wallcovering, glass, ceramics, and jewelry. Works by architects
such as Victor Horta and Antonio Gaudí serve as excellent
examples of the Art Nouveau style.
Angel in Modern Architecture
The architecture and decorative arts of the twentieth century is
more eclectic (as seen in the Art Deco style), more organic (as seen in the prairie and revival styles), and yet more functional (as seen in the
international style) than that of prior periods. The Art Deco style, in
particular, seemed to best lend itself to the treatment of angels. The
style, which reached its peak between the two world wars, featured
winged figures in murals, gold-lacquered angel-like beings, and similar
figures in wood inlay, bent chrome, or blown glass. The most extravagant
examples of Art Deco can be found in theaters, hotels, and
department stores.
Architectural ornamentation following World War II has tended
to be less of an extraneous embellishment and more a part of the overall
architectural statement. Architects of the late twentieth century
have worked closely with artists. For instance, the Metropolitan
Opera House at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts features
murals by painter Marc Chagall. The murals Triumph of Music and
Source of Music, both painted in 1966, show angels and other winged
figures dancing and performing. An even more spectacular display of
angels can be seen in Saint Patrick’s Church in Oklahoma City, which
features ten-foot sculptured angels in relief.