How to Draw Angels, Part I
Angels in Contemporary Art
More often than not angels in contemporary art are depicted in one of two ways, either as pudgy children with small wings or as graceful winged female figures, with shining golden hair, sweet faces, and impossibly long flowing garments. These images may be beautiful but they offer us a confusing idea as to what an angel is and is not. Sadly many religious artists, including myself, have unknowingly contributed to the confusion by adopting this secular imagery.
The result is Religious Art that no longer speaks to the Truth, the viewer does not get past the image to contemplate the message behind it. Now, I have seen many beautiful images of female angels and have even created some myself, but as an artist who explores the splendor and richness of the Christian faith through his art, and as a cleric who must represent the Truth, I have to recognize that the eye teaches as well as the ear, and a badly painted angel could lead to bad theology and even error in our understanding of Christian doctrine.
Secular Art has developed its own angelic iconography which will continue to change according to popular tastes. Whether angels are depicted as chubby children or ethereal women in order to sell a product doesn’t really matter. But for the Christian artist whose vocation is to depict Christian Truth, how angels are depicted matters a great deal.
Where does that leave us?
So how should the contemporary Christian artist draw angels? We need to look at the traditions and symbols that Christian artists worked out long before we inherited their mantle. By studying the iconographic artforms of the past, from Eastern “orthodox icons” to Western manuscript illuminations we can rediscover this language that was created to represent the spiritual world.
Angels are not human beings and people do not become angels.
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| St. Raphael by Burne Jones |
First we have to recognize that there is a difference between human beings and angels. Angels are a specific type of created spiritual being. Good humans do not become angels but rather they become saints through Jesus Christ. Angels are glorious, powerful, awe-inspiring creatures often mistaken for God Himself when they appear in scripture. Christian artists can make use of traditional symbolism to convey this truth.
Depicting Angels Symbolically
Traditional Christian art shows angels as:
- Genderless: Angels do not have beards or breasts or physiques that are obviously intended to be male or female.
- Human in Form: They are portrayed as human in form to symbolize that they are unique persons or individuals.
- Winged and barefoot: Angels are shown winged to symbolize their spiritual nature. In his seminal work Church Symbolism, F.R. Webber makes the further observation that, at least in Western religious art, angels are often shown barefooted to convey the idea that these spirits are not quite of the earth but rather exist in a different world.
In addition, angels are often clothed in the vestments of a deacon to emphasize their role as servants of God. Frequently they carry a wand symbolizing their authority as God’s messengers.
When is an angel shown with a specific gender? Coming up in part III