Angels have always been mysterious beings for artists to attempt to depict. They are essentially envisioned by the Scripture writers as messengers from God and their messages are as varied as their physical appearance. They are usually described as men and without wings. They can be their own sources of light and are sometimes almost blinding to the viewer, or just be ordinary looking people, but with something unusual about them that the different writers were hard pressed to specify. Were the living creatures with multiple heads and wings of Ezekiel types of angels, or were the six winged beings of Isaiah another category of angel? The standard image of a male or female with one set of wings came about in Medieval depictions, since it was thought that Heaven was a place just above the highest clouds and angels must have wings on their backs in order to easily descend and ascend in carrying out all their messenger duties. That is why artists today usually stick wings on their backs, regardless of how they are presented by all the different Bible writers. Otherwise, how do we instantly recognize them as angels? (This image is from an Advent PowerPoint presentation. A Herald Angel's right hand is always lifted in a welcoming greeting, heralding good news.)
This is really interesting -- I know I forget that there are lots of different types of angels. I'd love to see more about this particular topic.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is a _terrific_ series. Thanks for all the time and scholarship that's needed to make it happen. I enjoy it, and it's something that I look forward to reading!
Thank you for your kind words. Charlie and I are having a good time with this blog. We post as often as possible and will certainly have some more observations about what people have thought through the years of angels and angelic beings.
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