Angel
by BOTTICELLI, Sandro, Chalk, traced with pen, washed and heightened with white, 266 x 165 mm
The youthful angel, facing to the right, can be dated stylistically to the 1490s, though wingless angels were not a feature of Botticelli’s works during this period. In this work, Botticelli concentrated on the wonderful movement of the garments, a feature that the figure has in common with the round dance of angels in the Coronation of the Virgin. The damaged work was mounted onto paper, and the arm and head were added by another artist at a later stage.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 4 minutes):
C�sar Franck: Panis angelicus