by Delaynna Trim, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art Curator
Angels have a big part to play in the Christian story about the birth of Christ. Did you know that angels are an important part of not only Christianity, but also Judaism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism?
In the Christian tradition, angels are often seen as intermediaries between God and people or as protectors of people. Angels were first mentioned in the Zoroastrian faith which dates to 15th century BC Iran. Angels feature in the Zoroastrian legend of the cosmic clash between Ahura Mazda, the benevolent deity, and Angra Mainyu, the hostile deity, along with their armies of angels and demons. Angels bridge the divide between Heaven and Earth. In the Quran, Muhammad encounters several angels during his journey through the heavens.
In Christian art, angels were not depicted with wings until the 4th century AD, because
the Bible does not describe angels as having wings. In the Bible, angels are described as looking like men. In the late 4th century, St. Ephrem wrote On Hermits and Desert Dwellers where he says that fasting from the attractions of the world gives wings. This is just one of several writings from the time that state that those who are righteous gain wings. John Chrysostom (c.340-407), the Archbishop of Constantinople wrote that angels should be depicted with wings to show their power and that they are above humans. Wings helped set angels apart from people in art. It is thought that angels depicted with wings started out as mimicking the Roman winged Victory figures. Many early Christian depictions of Biblical figures started out as copying depictions of Greco-Roman gods and mythological figures.
The earliest known representation of angels with wings is on what is called the Prince's Sarcophagus, or Sarcophagus of Sarigüzel, found near Istanbul in the 1930s, and attributed to the time of Theodosius I (379-395). A pair of angels are depicted holding the monogram of Christ on the side of the sarcophagus.
Most of the depictions of angels that we are familiar with today come from Renaissance and Baroque art. Some artists like Jan van Eyck even depicted angels with multicolored feather wings. During the Christmas season especially, you see angels being depicted in many different ways. Do you have any angels in your house or on your Christmas tree?
If you want to see more angels with wings, come check out Angels Among Us at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art until January 28.
Check out www.mgmoa.org/art-projects for more activities including how to make a paper angel and other angel art activities.
Art Project: Paper Angel
Supplies needed:
Cut paper or cardstock, glue, string
For the wings: Two strips of paper 3/4 inch x 6 inches
For the head: One strip 3/4 inch x 4 inches
For the top of the body: One strip 3/4 inch x 7 inches
For the bottom of the body: One strip 3/4 inch x 3 1/2 inch
Place glue onto one edge of your 4-inch-long strip and glue it into a circle.
Make an angel wing by placing some glue on one edge of a 6-inch strip and gluing the other end down on top of it to form a teardrop shape. Do this for the second wing.
To make the angel’s body place glue onto both ends of the 7-inch strip and glue them down onto each end of the 3 1/2-inch strip, forming a bell shape.
Glue the head on top of the body.
Glue each wing to the side of the angel.
Cut a piece of yarn or twine and tie it through the head of the angel to form a loop for hanging.
