Angel (one of a pair)
Unknown Artist
late 15th century
Medium
Bronze, fire-gilt
Dimensions
Overall (figure, confirmed): 5 1/8 × 2 1/8 × 6 1/8 in. (13 × 5.4 × 15.6 cm) Overall (wings, confirmed): 2 3/8 × 3/4 × 1 3/4 in. (6 × 1.9 × 4.4 cm) Overall (cross, confirmed): 5 1/8 × 1 1/2 × 1 5/8 in. (13 × 3.8 × 4.1 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Bronze
Culture
Italian, probably Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1912
Accession Number
12.129.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Angel (one of a pair)*, crafted in late 15th-century Italy—likely Florence—exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with graceful, idealized forms inspired by classical antiquity. Standing just over 5 inches tall, the bronze figure, complete with separate fire-gilt wings and cross, was designed for intimate devotion, perhaps adorning a private altar or chapel. Its small scale and modular parts highlight the era's innovative approach to sculpture, allowing for display flexibility and easy transport. Fire-gilding, a sophisticated technique involving mercury-gold amalgam heated on...