Angel
Angel is a marble candelabrum-bearing sculpture by Michelangelo, made in 1494 for the Arca of Saint Dominic in the basilica of Santo Domingo in Bologna. It was commissioned after the death of Niccolo dell’Arca, who had been decorating the tomb of Saint Dominic of Guzman, so that Michelangelo could complete the figures of Saint Petronio, Saint Procolo, and an angel to pair with Niccolo dell’Arca’s own work. This is the only winged figure in Michelangelo’s sculpture. In contrast to Niccolo dell’Arca’s delicate style, it shows a more monumental character and a highly dynamic treatment of the drapery, with a clear echo of Jacopo della Quercia. The work is documented in the biographies of Vasari and Condivi.
August 2008 © James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0
April 2006 © Georges Jansoone · CC BY 2.5
August 2008 © James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0
August 2008 © James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0
1900 © A. Closs ? · Public domain
Identification | |
| Title | Angel |
| Alternative titles | Angel with a Candelabrum; Angel with a Candlestick; Angel with a Lamp; Candle-bearing angel; Angel with the candlestick |
| Type | small marble statue |
| Original title | El Ángel, portacandelabro |
Creator | |
| Artist | Michelangelo Buonarroti |
| Associated artist | Niccolò dell'Arca |
Historical context | |
| Date | c. 1494–1495 |
| Commissioning context | After Niccolò dell'Arca's death in 1494, Michelangelo was called to complete the decoration of the tomb of Saint Dominic |
| Commissioned by | the friars of San Domenico |
| Patron / intermediary | Giovan Francesco Aldrovandi |
| Place of creation | Bologna |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Associated work | the candelabrum-bearing angel executed by Niccolò dell'Arca |
| Documentation | documented in the biographies of Vasari and Condivi |
| Created for | the tomb / Ark of Saint Dominic in the Basilica of San Domenico, Bologna |
| Set or group | one of three statues Michelangelo made for the tomb |
| Part of | the decoration of the Ark of Saint Dominic |
Physical characteristics | |
| Height | 51.5 cm |
Materials | |
| Material | marble |
Appearance | |
| General character | full of potential energy |
| Spatial conception | contained within an ideal cubic spatial form |
| Facial expression | more animated and livelier than Niccolò dell'Arca's angel |
| Drapery | dynamic, broad drapery with many small, thick folds |
| Movement | leaning or thrusting forward with concentrated, economical movement |
| Figure type | compact, massive, and masculine; less feminine and delicate than Niccolò dell'Arca's angel |
| Hair | short, curly hair |
| Object held | a heavy candlestick / candelabrum held with both hands on the right side, placed on the raised knee |
| Pose | kneeling on the left knee, with one knee raised |
| Subject | an angel holding a candelabrum |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Iconography | an angel with wings |
| Function | to hold votive candles beside the actual sarcophagus |
| Iconographic feature | the only winged figure in Michelangelo's sculpture |
Style | |
| Interpretive note | according to Eric Scigliano, the three figures seem to want to break free |
| Interpretive note | according to Nadine Sautel, it seems molded in wax |
| Size context | relatively small in size, as were the missing figures by medieval tradition |
| Comparison with predecessor's figure | the other candelabrum by Niccolò had the appearance of a gentle, melancholic maiden |
| Comparison with predecessor | Michelangelo succeeded fairly well in imitating Niccolò dell'Arca's manner |
| Art-historical characterization | its force is already sixteenth-century in character; it moves away from the balanced and refined forms typical of the early Renaissance |
| Classical influence | classicism; a supernatural being of classical inspiration |
| Influence by critical source | according to Viktor Lazarev, Michelangelo's early works show the influence of Jacopo della Quercia |
| Influence | Jacopo della Quercia, especially the portal of San Petronio |
| Stylistic contrast | in strong contrast with the delicate sculpture of Niccolò dell'Arca |
| Stylistic characterization | returns to a typical Tuscan sculpture style with a monumental air |
Location and ownership | |
| Current location | Basilica of San Domenico, Bologna |
| Placement | right side of the tomb / Ark of Saint Dominic |
| Monument | the Tomb of Saint Dominic / Arca di San Domenico |
| Monument status | left unfinished because of the death of Niccolò dell'Arca, who had started it |
Other | |
| Associated figures | Saint Petronius and Saint Proculus of Bologna |
| Number of Michelangelo figures mentioned | three |
| Relation to monument | all three figures by Michelangelo fit into the tomb |
| Assessment by William Wallace | "the prettiest of all the sculptures he ever conceived" |