Botticelli Angel | BYBS

August 16th, 2009 by Kathleen

Botticelli angels are some of the loveliest in all of Italian Renaissance art. Their faces are beautiful and innocent, painted by the same master who created the iconic Botticelli Venus, rising from the sea on a shell.

This angel, a detail from a painting of the coronation of Mary, has the typical reddish gold hair and beautiful face. Notice that the wings are golden brown, probably so that they would fade into the background. The angel wears a sumptuous renaissance garment with a gold lace collar—something only very wealthy people could afford at that time.

The expression of awe and devotion on the face of the angel still inspires us today, as it must have when it was painted, between 1488 and 1490.

True inspiration from the angels—What a blessing!