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| Follower of Simon Bening and Others, A Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours Flemish, c. 1500-1525 The Hague, Meermano Museum MS RMMW 10 E 3, fol. 202v |
"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen"
Children’s prayer to the Guardian Angel
"O God, who in your unfathomable providence are pleased to
send your holy Angels to guard us, hear our supplication as we cry to you, that
we may always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their
company. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen."
From the Mass of October 2, Memorial of the Holy Guardian
Angels
What image do you think of when you hear the term “Guardian
Angel”? Is it a sweet image of a pretty,
girlish angel carrying a baby in her arms, or of a similar figure hovering
above some toddlers while they wander too close to peril? Is it an image suitable for a child’s room,
meant to be discarded by the time the child goes to school? If it is, then you may be surprised that the
image above this paragraph is of a “Guardian Angel” as well. What’s going on here?
Belief in angelic beings is a common thread through many of the world’s religions, although not necessarily in all. And, of course, skeptics of religion discount them totally. However, for the last twenty years or so angels have been big business in the United States, and probably elsewhere. These angels weren’t exactly religious, of course, because they were often interpreted as vaguely wifty “spiritual beings” rather than in their proper role as messengers from God. (Indeed, the very word “angel” comes from the Greek word angelos meaning “messenger”.) Instead, these were fluffy, sweet, ethereal beings who seem to hover around the world spreading a sense of uplift and peace.
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| Fridolin Leiber, The Guardian Angel German. 1900 Postcard Original One of the most commonly used popular images of a Guardian Angel, very suitable for a child's room. |
These “angels” are, in fact, the result of a long process of
domestication and degradation of one of the most numerous of the nine orders of
angels and the one that affects humans the most – the guardian angels.1 For, while the archangels, that other group
of angels that have interacted with humans, have retained some of the aura of
power with which they are surrounded, the guardian angels have suffered badly. And it’s a rather long and sad story that can
be traced through the history of art.
I first entertained the idea of doing a study of the
guardian angels several years ago, but after a few queries on the internet,
gave up. The images turned up by my
inquiries were all from the 19th and 20th centuries and
horribly kitschy. Nothing to see here, I
thought and forgot about it. However,
recently, while searching for updated and new images of the archangel Raphael
for the post “The Three Great Archangels” in advance of the recent feast day of
the great three (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, the archangels named in the
Bible) I stumbled upon an image that was actually that of a guardian
angel. It wasn’t late and it wasn’t
kitschy.
,%20c.%201440-1460_The%20Hague,%20KB_MS%20KB%2074%20G%2035,%20fol.%2083v.jpg) |
Masters of the Delft Grisailles, A Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours Dutch (Delft), c. 1440-1460 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 74 G 35, fol. 83v |
To my great surprise, a renewed search for guardian angel images turned up many, many, many that weren’t kitschy at all. Apparently, in the years since my initial searches, museums and libraries around the world have made the images in their collections accessible and searchable and they include many images of these angels that were missing before.
The Angelus Custos
The idea of a guardian angel goes far back into time and exists in many cultures and religions in one form or another. Most relevant for this discussion is the belief in ancient Judaism that such beings exist. Psalm 91 makes this belief clear.
“Because you have the LORD for your refuge
and have made the Most High your stronghold,
No evil shall befall you,
no affliction come near your tent.
For he commands his angels with regard to you,
to guard you wherever you go.
With their hands they shall support you,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You can tread upon the asp and the viper,
trample the lion and the dragon.”
Psalm 91:9-13
An angel is assigned to every person, whose duty is to guard
that person from harm and evil.
This passed into Christian belief. Indeed, it is referred to quite prominently
in the New Testament accounts of the temptation of Jesus by Satan at the
beginning of His ministry (Matthew 4:5-7, Luke 4:9-12).
The Suffrage of the Guardian Angel
By the high Middle Ages belief in an individual guardian
angel was well established. This is also
the period in which we begin to see the appearance of Books of Hours. These were prayer books used by literate lay
persons who wished to follow, in a modified manner, some of the prayer
practices that had been introduced into the Christian life by the monastic
orders. In the monasteries monks were
required to pray at several set hours of the day. Each service of prayer included Biblical
texts, especially the psalms, but including excerpts from other books of the
Bible. There were also prayers and
litanies (strings of short prayers).
These services varied in length, but some could be relatively long. Lay people desired to emulate these
practices, but their more diffused lives made this time commitment
difficult. Eventually, a shorter format
series of prayers developed, and this was the Book of Hours. The “Hours” was a reference to the times at
which the monks and nuns in monasteries and convents prayed. The
Books of Hours could be simple affairs of text only, or perhaps of text with
the occasional decorated initial letter.
Or they could be grand affairs with beautifully illustrated pages,
sometimes even full-page ones, for the more well-to-do.2
One feature of the Book of Hours was its flexibility. Apart from some common features, those who
ordered such a book could choose what prayers they wished to include. This was particularly frequent in regard to
the section known as the Suffrages, one of the last sections in a Book of Hours. A suffrage was a set of prayers aimed at
honoring a specific saint or group of saints.
Patrons could choose to include or not include whichever saints they had
a devotion to, along with some that were venerated universally at the time,
like Saint John the Baptist or Saint Catherine of Alexandria. This mirrors the memorials to saints that are
found in today’s daily missals or breviaries and which were common in that era
as well, although, of course, the mass produced, printed missal or breviary
does not have the same flexibility as did the suffrages of a book of hours,
which was compiled for a specific individual.
One of the suffrages that was available, for those who
wished to include it, was the Suffrage of the Guardian Angel. Notice that the word “angel” is
singular. Thus, this prayer was not
aimed at the Guardian Angels as a group, the way it is today, but at one angel,
the angel who is the guardian of the patron of that individual prayer
book. The prayers that are included in
each suffrage also vary, but all are addressed to one angel, addressed in Latin
as the Angele custos. An opening prayer
in one suffrage begins: “Angele qui meus es custos pietatis superna me tibi
commitunt serua defende guberna.” (“Angel, who guards me with heavenly piety, I
entrust myself to you to protect me.”).
Similar prayers are included in other Books of Hours.
_From%20the%20Beaufort-Beachamp%20Hours_English%20(London),%20c.%201430-1443_London,%20British%20Library_MS%20Royal%202%20A.%20XVIII,%20fol.%2026r.jpg) |
| A Woman with Her Guardian Angel (possibly Margaret Beauchamp) From the Beaufort-Beachamp Hours English (London), c. 1430-1443 London, British Library MS Royal 2 A. XVIII, fol. 26r |
Books of Hours first began to appear in the Latin language, which was the language
of all educated, literate people.
However, as literacy spread through the population Latin was not always
the only language in which people prayed and which they learned to read. Books of Hours in the vernacular began to
appear during the fourteenth century and I have seen many of the later prayers
to the Guardian Angel written in French, Dutch and German as well as in Latin.
Doubtless there exist similar texts in other emerging languages as well, such
as English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
The end of illuminated books did not end the idea of praying to the Guardian Angel or Guardian Angels as a group. Engravers replaced illuminators in the era of the printed book and by the end of the sixteenth century to image of the Guardian Angel had moved out of books and into paintings. And it is during this same sixteenth century that the image of the angel begins to shift.
The Image of the Guardian Angel Before 1600
Initially, the Guardian Angels in every one of the images
that I have found did one of several things:
They receive the prayers of the person they protect;
,%20c.%201400-1410_Baltimore,%20The%20Walters%20Art%20Museum_MS%20W%20103,%20fol.%2019v%20cropped.jpg) |
| The Luçon Master, A Woman Praying to Her Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours French (Paris), c. 1400-1410 Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum MS W 103, fol. 19v The words below the image are the same opening prayer as that in Latin above, but this time, in French. |
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| Master of Sir John Fastolf, A Patron and His Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours French, c. 1430-1440 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS 5, fol. 30v The man is shown kneeling before his guardian and praying |
,%20c.%201455-1465_New%20York,%20Pieropont%20Morgan_MS%20M%20972,%20fol.%2024r.jpg) |
| Flemish painter, Guardian Angel. A Man Praying to His Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1455-1465 New York, Pierpont Morgan Museum and Library MS M 972, fol. 24r |
,%20c.%201495_The%20Hague,%20KB_MS%20KB%20135%20G%2019,%20fol.%20130v.jpg) |
| A Man with His Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1495 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 135 G 19, fol. 130v |
,%20c.%201495-1505_New%20York,%20Pierpont_MS%20M%201170,%20fol.%20122r.jpg) |
| Master of Nicholas von Firmian, A Man Praying to His Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1495-1505 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 1170, fol. 122r |
,%20c.%201535-1545_New%20York,%20Pierpont_MS%20M%20696,%20fol.%2056r.jpg) |
| Master of Charles V, Charles V Praying to His Guardian Angel From the Hours of Charles V Flemish (Brussels), c. 1535-1545 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum MS M 696, fol. 56r |
They guide their person along the right path to God;
,%20c.%201330-1340_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20NAL%203145,%20fol.%20123v%20cropped.jpeg) |
| Jean Pucelle, Joan of Navarre and Her Guardian Angel From the Hours of Joan of Navarre_ French (Paris), c. 1330-1340 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS NAL 3145, fol. 123v Joan's angel is directing the attention of the queen to the plight of the poor. |
,%20c.%201450-1460_Baltimore,%20The%20Walters%20Art%20Museum_MS%20W%20267,%20fo.l%2013v.jpg) |
| A Guardian Angel Encouraging a Woman in Prayer From a Book of Hours Flemish (Hainaut), c. 1450-1460 Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum MS W 267, fol. 13v Here the angel encourages the woman to pray the Hail Mary, which is also what the text below the image happens to be "Ave Maria gratia plena, Dominus tecum." or "Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you." |
,%20c.%201455-1465_New%20York,%20Pierpont%20Morgan_MS%20M%20387,%20fol.%2071v.jpg) |
| Guillaume Vrelant and Workshop, Man Praying With His Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1455-1465 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum MS M 387, fol. 71v In this illumination the angel is directing his person toward God with the words "Si vis vitam ingredit serva mandata" ("if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.") |
,%20c.%201460_LA,%20J.%20Paul%20Getty%20Museum_MS%20Ludwig%20IX%2012,%20fol.%20305v.jpg) |
| Guardian Angel with Kneeling Man Before an Image of the Last Judgment From a Book of Hours Italian (Naples), c. 1460 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS Ludwig IX 12, fol. 305v Here the angel coaches his person to pray the words "Fete servitor tuus" (or "I am your servant") before an image of Christ as the Judge of the Last Judgment. |
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| Master of Cornelis Croesinck, Woman Encouraged to Pray By Her Guardian Angel From the Croesinck Hours Dutch, c. 1489-1499 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum MS M 1078, fol. 121v |
,%20c.%201500-1510_The%20Hague,%20KB_MS%20KB%2071%20G%2053,%20fol.%2079v.jpg) |
| A Guardian Angel Encouraging a Woman (Nun? Widow?) in Prayer From a Prayer Book Flemish (Malines), c. 1500-1510 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 71 G 53, fol. 79v |
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| Albrecht Dürer, A Praying Man with His Guardian Angel German, 1503 Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin |
They protect their person from the attacks of demons or even from Satan himself;
,%20c.%201435-1445_NY,%20Pierpont_MS%20M%20917'945,p.%20206.jpg) |
| Master of Catherine of Cleves, A Guardian Angel Protecting a Soul From the Hours of Catherine of Cleves Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1435-1445 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum MS M 917/945,p. 206 This image underscores the idea that the relationship between the human soul and its angelic guardian does not cease at death, but continues until the soul is either firmly established in either heaven or in hell. Here the guardian fights with a demon over the soul of a corpse awaiting burial. |
,%20c.%201476-1480_Paris,%20BN%20Francias%20186,%20fol.%2036r.jpg) |
| Master of The Getty Froissart, A Guardian Angel and a Demon Fighting for a Soul From Le Livre des angeles by Francesc Eiximenis Flemish (Bruges), c. 1476-1480 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francias 186, fol. 36r In this image a demon and the guardian each try to persuade a living soul to follow them. It appears that the angel may be winning here. |
,%20c.%201480-1495_New%20York,%20Pierpont%20Morgan%20Library%20and%20Museum,%20MS%20M%20348,%20fol_edited.jpg) |
| Georges Trubert, A Guardian Angel Protecting a Soul From a Book of Hours French (Avignon), c. 1480-1495 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum, MS M 348, fol. 252v This angel is leaving the demon in no doubt about the protective action it will take on behalf of the soul (shown as a naked child) in its care. |
They accompany their person in the his/her journey in the afterlife,
One instance of this activity is found in the book entitled Pelerinage de l'ame by the French author Guillaume de Digulleville in the middle of the fourteenth century. Like Dante whose Divine Comedy was written about fifty years earlier, Deguilleville imagined his soul journeying through the afterlife and visiting the realms of hell and purgatory. Instead of Dante's companion, Virgil, Digulleville's companion was his guardian angel.. I present a few of the illustrations to one copy of Digulleville's book now in the Bibliotheque nationale de France in Paris.
,%20c.%201425-1450_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20Francais%20376,%20fol.%20109v.jpg) |
| His Guardian Angel Leads Digulleville into Purgatory From the Peleriinage de l'ame by Guillaume de Digulleville French (Rennes), c. 1425-1450 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 376, fol. 109v |
,%20c.%201425-1450_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20Francais%20376,%20fol.%2093r.jpg) |
| Digulleville Sets Out on His Pilgrimage Through Purgatory with his Guardian Angel and a Demon From the Peleriinage de l'ame by Guillaume de Digulleville French (Rennes), c. 1425-1450 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 376, fol. 93r |
,%20c.%201425-1450_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20Francais%20376,%20fol.%2089r.jpg) |
| His Guardian Angel Defends the Soul of Guillaume de Digulleville From a Devil From the Peleriinage de l'ame by Guillaume de Digulleville French (Rennes), c. 1425-1450 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 376, fol. 89r |
However, even before Dante and Digulleville had imagined the soul journeying through hell another author, an Irish monk at Regensburg named Marcus, had written of a similar journey. This is the Visio Tnugdali, written in the mid-twelfth century. It was also an extremely popular book in the late middle ages, although only one complete and illustrated copy remains and is in the possession of the Getty Museum. 3
,%201475_LA,%20J.%20Paul%20Getty%20Museum_MS%2030,%20fol.%2011v%20crop.jpg) |
| Simon Marmion, Tondal's Soul Enters Hell, Accompanied by His Guardian Angel From Les Vision du chevalier Tondal Flemish (Ghent), 1475 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS 30, fol. 11v |
,%201475_LA,%20J.%20Paul%20Getty%20Museum_MS%2030,%20fol_edited.jpg) |
| Simon Marmion, Tondal and His Guardian Angel Arrive at the Gates of Hell and See Lucifer From Les Vision du chevalier Tondal Flemish (Ghent), 1475 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS 30, fol. 30v |
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| Monogrammist HS, The Demons Try to Possess Tnugdal's Soul, But He Is Saved by His Guardian Angel From the Visio Tnugdali by Brother Marcus German, 1515 |
In addition, the Guardian Angels are represented as serious and devoted adult beings, as befits their serious role of great responsibility.
,%20c.%201450-1460_The%20Hague,%20KB_MS%20KB%2076%20F%202,%20fol.%20297v.jpg) |
| Jean le Tavernier and Follower, A Guardian Angel From the Hours of Philip of Burgendy Flemish (Oudenaarde), c. 1450-1460 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 76 F 2, fol. 297v |
,%20c.%201455-1465_New%20York,%20Pierpoint_MS%20M%20194,%20fol.%20131v.jpg) |
| The Rambures Master, Prayer to the Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours French (Amiens), c. 1455-1465 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum MS M 194, fol. 131v |
,%20c.%201460_Amiens,%20Bibliotheque%20municipale_MS%20200,%20fol.%20158r.jpg) |
| The Rambures Master, A Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours French (Amiens), c. 1460 Amiens, Bibliotheque municipale MS 200, fol. 158r |
,%20c.%201485-1495_New%20York,%20Pierpont_MS%20S.1,%20fol.%20117r.jpg) |
| The Dark Eyes Group, A Guardian Angel From a Book of Hours Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1485-1495 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum MS S.1, fol. 117r |
,%20c.%201510-1520_Baltimore,%20The%20Walters%20Art%20Museum_MS%20W%20520,%20fol.%20260v.jpg) |
| A Group of Guardian Angels From the Almugavar Hours Spanish (Catalonia), c. 1510-1520 Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum MS W 520, fol. 260v |
Further, the person to whom the angel is attached is also mostly depicted as an adult human, even when naked and reduced in size befitting their mortal condition. This remains true throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The Image of the Guardian Angel 1600-1800
However, at the beginning of the seventeenth,
the image of the Guardian Angel begins to change. To begin with, the person whom the angel
guards and guides is henceforth depicted as a child, although I suspect that this is
initially merely notional, meant to recall the words of Jesus that “, unless
you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 18:2). It also recalls the biblical relationship of the archangel Raphael with the young Tobias, although the Tobias of the
Bible is a young man, not a child.
,%20c.%201491-1494_London,%20British%20Library_MS%20Additional%2063493,%20fol_edited.jpg) |
| Francesco Sforza and His Guardian Angel From the Hours of Francesco Sforza Italian (Milan), c. 1491-1494 London, British Library MS Additional 63493, fol. 112v This image clearly derives from fifteenth century images of the archangel Raphael and the young Tobias, such as the image below. However, this image leads the way in which images of the Guardian Angel developed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. |
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| Workshop of Andrea del Verocchio, Tobias and the Angel Italian, c. 1470-1475 London, National Gallery |
Overwhelmingly, the function of the Guardian Angel became that of guiding their human toward God, usually accompanied by the gesture of pointing toward heaven.
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| A Guardian Angel Leading a Child to Church Italian, 17th Century Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts graphiques, Cabinet des dessins Here the angel's gesture directs the soul into a church, rather than directly up to heaven. |
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| Antiveduto Grammatica, The Guardian Angel Italian, c. 1600 Bourg-en-Bresse, Musée de Brou |
On occasion, the threat of the demonic is depicted, but usually not in a truly threatening way. So, the angel never needs to put up much of a defense. Instead, the angel distracts the soul or gently deflects it from going toward the source of evil.
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| Hieronymus Wierix, Guardian Angel with a Child Flemish, c. 1600-1619 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum The text below the image reads "Angeli eorum semper vicent faciem patris mei qui in caelis
est. Matt 18." This is a reference to the words of Jesus in his discourse on children in Matthew 18:10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." |
,%20A%20Guardian%20Angel%20Encouraging%20a%20Soul%20w%20S%20Ursula%20&%20Thomas_Triptych%20wing_Italian,%20c.%201615_Madrid,%20Museo%20Nacional%20del%20Prado.jpg) |
| Cecco da Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri), A Guardian Angel Encouraging a Soul with Saints Ursula and Thomas Right Wing of a Triptych Italian, c. 1615 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Domenico Fetti, Guardian Angel Italian, c. 1616-1618 Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures |
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| Bartolomeo Cavarozzi, The Guardian Angel Italian, First Quarter of 17th Century Buenos Aires, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes |
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| Girolamo Imperiale the Elder, The Guardian Angel Italian, 1622 Washington, National Gallery of Art A loose translation of the printed text reads: "See the love of God for you. Look to the guardian angel form heaven that he provides for you. To guard you from the devils attack and make them flee. He directs your course to the stars of heaven, where he worships God. With such help you can climb to the heavenly threshold." However, even with this strong statement the actions of the angel are more a gentle deflection that an attack on the demon. |
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| Bernardo Strozzi, The Guardian Angel Italian, c. 1630 Houston, Museum of Fine Arts |
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| Carlo Dolce, Guardian Angel Tutoring the Christian Child Italian, c. 1630s Budapest, Szépmûvészeti Museum |
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| Carlo Dolce, Guardian Angel Italian, c. 1630s Private Collection |
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| Nicholas Tournier, The Guardian Angel French, c. 1630s Narbonne, Cathedral |
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| Jacques Callot, The Guardian Angel From Les Images De Tous Les Saincts et Saintes de L'Année French, 1636 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Drawings and Prints |
,%20Birmingham%20Museums%20Trust.jpg) |
| Gioacchino Assereto, The Guardian Angel Italian, c. 1640s Birmingham (UK), Birmingham Museums Trust |
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| Vincenzo Manenti, The Guardian Angel Italian, c. 1640 Subiaco, Church of Saint Benedict and the Sacro Speco, Upper Church |
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| Alessandro Rosi, Guarian Angel with a Youth Italian, c. 1650-1670 Private Collection |
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| Attributed to Luca Giordano, Guardian Angel Italian, Second Half of 17th Century Cádiz, Museo de Cádiz |
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| Francesco Albani, Allegory of the Pontificate of Alexander VII Italian, c. 1655-1660 Rome, Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini In this picture, the Guardian Angel is protecting, not just a person, but that person's pontificate and the city of Rome itself. |
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| Pietro da Cortona, The Guardian Angel Italian, 1656 Rome, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini |
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| Abraham Brueghel and Guillaume Courtois, Guardian Angel and Child in a Garland of Flowers Flemish, c. 1660 Private Collection |
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| Andreas Wolff, The Guardian Angel German, c. 1690 Munich, Cathedral of Our Lady The defensive stance of this angel is unusual for the period. |
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| Johann Carl Loth, The Guardian Angel and the Archangel Michael German, 1691 Munich, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek While Michael fights the demons on the wing, the Guardian Angel leads the soul toward God. |
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| The Guardian Angel Mexican, 18th Century Philadelphia, Museum of Art |
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| The Guardian Angel Peruvian, 18th Century Philadelphia, Museum of Art |
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| Andreas Faistenberger, The Guardian Angel Austrian, 1701 Regensburg, Carmelite Church |
During these two centuries an artist might occasionally depict a Guardian Angel engaged in some of the other activities that their medieval predecessors had done, but these pictures are rare.
To protect the soul entrusted to them from the attacks of demons or even from Satan himself;
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| Domenichino, The Guardian Angel Italian, 1615 Naples, Museo di Capodimonte |
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| School of Guercino, A Guardian Angel Protecting a Soul from a Demon Italian, Third Quarter of 17th Century Dijon,Musée national Magnin |
The guard the soul of a child from harm of any kind.
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| Vincenzo Spisano, Guardian Angel with an Infant Italian, 17th Century Dijon, Musée Magnin |
They present their person to God, or the Madonna or to a saint;
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| Giovanni Battista Grati, Madonna and Child with a Guardian Angel Italian, c. 1700-1750 Cortona, Cathedral of Saint Mary |
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| Francesco Solimena, A Guardian Angel and Saint Francis de Paul Present a Boy to the Madonna and Child Italian, c. 1705-1706 Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum |
Concurrently, from the mid-sixteenth century onward the facial characteristics of the Angels began to change. Prior to this time the angels had appeared in the form of young men, their masculinity reinforced by their liturgical garments and their weapons. However, after the middle of the sixteenth century this began to change. The alb and cope, which had been virtually standard wear for the angels seen in illuminations, gave way to a loosely worn garment that slid off one shoulder or split to reveal an extensive slice of leg. As time passed more and more of the “body” of the angel was exposed. And, at the same time, the facial characteristics, which had been those of a young man, became more ambivalent, gradually becoming the face of a young woman instead. This becomes particularly noticeable after 1700. Although the bodies remain masculine in appearance, the faces become "sweeter" and increasingly delicate.
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| Johann Georg Bermueller, A Guardian Angel Showing the Tablets of the Law to a Child German, 1714 Augsburg, Cathedral |
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| Marcantonio Franceschini, The Guardian Angel Italian, 1716 Dulwich, Dulwich Picture Gallery |
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| A Guardian Angel Showing the Cross to a Child German, c. 1717-1718 Regensburg, Church of Saint Andrew |
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| Attributed to Anton Sturm, A Guardian Angel Austrian, c. 1720 Füssen, Hospital Church of the Holy Spirit |
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| Jacob Carl Stauder, The Guardian Angel Swiss, c. 1750-1751 Donauwoerth, Church of the Holy Cross |
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| Jacopo Appiani, The Guardian Angel Italian, 1725 Waldsassen, Church of Saint John the Evangelist |
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| Joseph Weiss, The Guardian Angel Showing the Holy Trinity to a Child German, c. 1725-1770 Benediktbeuern, Church of Saint Benedict |
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| A Guardian Angel South German, c. 1725-1750 Eichstaett, Church of the Guardian Angels |
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| A Guardian Angel German, c. 1725-1750 Marburg, Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der Philipps-Universität Marburg, Museum für Kulturgeschichte |
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| Antonio Bossi, The Guardian Angel Italian, 1729 Ottobeuren, Benedictine Abbey Church |
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| Giambattista Piazzetta, The Guardian Angel with Saints Anthony of Padua and Gaetano Thiene Italian, 1730 Venice, Church of San Vidal |
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| Nicholas-Sebastien Adam, Monument to Queen Catharina Opalinska French, 1749 Nancy, Church of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours |
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| Dominikus Zimmermann, The Guardian Angel German, c. 1750 Benediktbeuern, Chapel of Saint Anastasia |
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| A Guardian Angel German, c. 11750 Donauwoerth, Church of the Holy Cross |
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| Jose Vergara Gimeno, The Guardian Angel Spanish, Second Half of 18th Century Madrid, . Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. |
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| Johann Joseph Christian, The Guardian Angel German, 1760 Ottobeuren, Benedictine Abbey Church |
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| Joseph Goetsch, The Guardian Angel German, c. 1761-1769 Birkenstein, Church of the Annunciation |
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| Joseph Goetsch after Ignaz Guenther, The GuardianAngel German, c. 1763 Rott am Inn, Church of Saints Marinus and Anianus |
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| Ignaz Kaufmann, The Guardian Angel German, 1779 Freising, Church of Saints Peter and Paul |
Occasionally, older iconography did appear, but these instances seem to be few and far between. Some belong more to the world of folk art than to the more assertive high Baroque and Rococo of the main stream of images that decorated churches during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
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| Johann Sebastian Troger, The Guardian Angel German, c. 1765 Fuscgbachau, Church of Saint Martin |
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| Gaetano Gandolfi, Saint Justina and a Guardian Angel Commending a Child to the Madonna and Child Italian, c. 1792-1793 Private Collection |
The Image of the Guardian Angel in the Nineteenth Century
By 1800 the transformation was complete, and the Guardian Angel was now a female, concerned only with the protection of a child from earthly harm. Guardian Angels had also become entirely feminine. Gone were the exposed torsos of the earlier images. Tunics were now modestly high necked, faces and hair were now decidedly feminine. Gone too was any hint of spiritual warfare against demons.
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| Henri Decaisne, The Guardian Angel French, Second Quarter of the 19th Century Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures |
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| Julius Hübner, The Guardian Angels German, 1836 Berlin, Nationalgalerie der Staatliche Museen zu Berlin The presence of two angels is unusual. But it is logical, since one is the angel assigned to the child, and the other is the angel assigned to the mother. This attention to the logic of the Guardian Angels is missing in other images that include mother and child. |
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| Alexey Tyranov, Guardian Angel Fighting for the Soul Russian, First Half of the 19th Century Location Unknown This Russian painting is one of the few post-Renaissance works to refer back to the traditional images of Guardian Angels as defenders of the soul from demonic attacks. |
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| Karl Gottlob Beyer, A Guardian Angel with Two Children German, c. 1854 Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Skulpturensammlung |
Around 1850 to 1860 several changes occurred that would have an impact on future images of the Guardian Angel.
First, new images of the Guardian Angel appeared in popular media such as the chromolithograph. This took the entire iconography of the subject out of the hands of the sophisticated, art-knowledgeable patron class and opened it to the general public and its tastes and concerns. It also made the image of the Guardian Angel available to all but the poorest people in all European countries since this kind of image could be reproduced widely and cheaply. Every home, wealthy or poor, could now have an image of the Guardian Angel if so inclined.
Some of these chromolithographed images were didactic in nature, offering prayers to guide the viewer in addressing or even thinking about a Guardian Angel.
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| Napoleon Thomas, The Guardian Angel French, c. 1859-11869 Berlin, Museum Europäischer Kulturen der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin The text below the image reads (in both French and Spanish): “O vous bienviellent interprete des decrets de la Providence
parmi les hommes pour les guider dans le sentier de la vertu et qui en les
preserverant des embushes du Demon les dirigez d'un pas assure ver la celeste
demeure, nous nous confiens en vous persuades que vous ne nous abonndonerez pas
avant de nous avoir ramenes ver notre patrie.” (Translation: “O you, benevolent interpreter of the decrees of Providence
among men, (sent) to guide them in the path of virtue, who by preserving them
from the ambushes of the Devil direct them with a sure step towards the
celestial abode, we trust in you, convinced that you will not abandon us before
having brought us back to our homeland.”) |
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| Prayer Card of Child Praying to His Guardian Angel Austrian, Late 19th -Early 20th Century Wienings, Kaiser Franz Josef Museum The Child prays: "Dear
guardian angel, tell the Christ Child I am sweet and small and I am Hans! I
fold my hands and pray, oh I can!" Underneath the picture there is a Biblical quotation ""God
has recommended his angels to protect you in all your ways. (Ps. 90:11.)" Note too that the angel is depicted as a child as well. |
Second, from about 1860 an emotional line appears to have been crossed in the depictions of the entire subject of the Guardian Angel. A heavy dose of emotional content was added to the depiction of the angel which resonates to our own day.
The first image seems to have been developed by the renowned German painter of the mid-nineteenth century, Wilhelm von Kaulbach. In his day, von Kaulbach was one of the most ubiquitous and most sought after painters. So, when around 1860, he contributed a design for an chromolithograph of a guardian angel, the image spread rapidly through photographs and the chromolithograph itself. Further, it was picked up by artists working in decorative media such as paintings on porcelain and spread through the plaques and medallions they produced..
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| Wilhelm von Kaulbach, Flying Guardian Angel Above a Landscape Blue Version German, Third Quarter of 19th Century Location Unknown |
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| Wilhelm von Kaulbach, Flying Guardian Angel Above a Landscape Green Version German, Third Quarter of 19th Century Location Unknown |
The image is open to several interpretations, including that the child is dreaming and is guided and protected in its dreams by its angel. Alternately, it can be read that the child has died and that the angel is carrying it home to heaven. The second interpretation, being the one that catches the emotions most readily may account for the fact that this image became extremely popular and was reproduced far and wide. See this window from a Chicago church produced in 1917 by a German glass painter.
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| F.X. Zettler after Wilhelm von Kaulbach, The Guardian Angel German, 1917 Chicago, Church of Saint Mary of the Lake |
The image remains extremely popular and today it can be found on many items from pillows, to mugs, to bath mats!
This and other images attributed to Kaulbach, that were picked up by decorative painters helped spread this "soft" image of the Guardian Angel widely.
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| After Wilhelm von Kaulbach, In the Morning Oil on Ceramic German, Late 19th Century Private Collection |
The "soft" image of the Guardian Angel influenced many other artists, working in many different media.
l_English,%201868_London,%20Victoria%20and%20Albert%20Museum.jpg) |
| Julia Margaret Cameron, The Guardian Ange (photograph) English, 1868 London, Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Joseph Fahnroth, Guardian Angel Watching Over a Sleeping Child German, 1880 Wrocław (formerly Breslau), University Church, Chapel of the Guardian Angel |
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| Charles Maurin, A Girl with Her Guardian Angel French, 1894 Private Collection |
The Image of the Guardian Angel Since 1900
By 1900, with some famous images by the German artists Bernhard Plockhorst and Fridolin Leiber we had arrived at those nursery images which I described at the beginning of this essay. They were followed by other artists, working in chromolithography, all over Europe and inundated the continent and ultimately the entire world with highly sentimentalized images of the "Guardian Angel".
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| Berhard Plockhorst, The Guardian Angel German, c. 1900 Neuss, Clemens Sels Museum |
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| Bernhard Plockhorst, The Guardian Angel German, c. 1900 Location Unknown |
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| Fridolin Leiber, The Guardian Angel German. 1900 Postcard Original |
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| _Fridolin Leiber, Two Pictures of Guardian Angels German, c. 1900-1912 Location Unknown |
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| A Guardian Angel with Two Children German or Swedish, c. 1900 Stockholm, Nordic Museum |
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| The Guardian Angel Austrian or German, c. 1900 Willersdorf, Heimatmuaseum |
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| Franz Dvorak, The Guardian Angel Austrian, 1911 London, University of London, Goldsmiths |
One noticeable trend in all these early twentieth century images is that they feature two children. This breaks dramatically with the belief that a Guardian Angel is charged with guiding and protecting only one soul. Apparently, the twentieth century ideal was one angel per family!
Consequences
What had once been an adult guardian tasked with protecting the soul against the attacks of Satan and with encouraging it to seek God had become a pretty, “spiritual” nursemaid, charged with protecting children from physical harm due to their lack of experience. The more serious implications of the belief in a Guardian Angel, that of guiding and defending the soul of an adult from falling to the influence of evil, has totally disappeared. What had been a belief serious enough to support a suffrage in the Books of Hours and a feast day of the Church had become a charming fable used to comfort children who are afraid of the dark. Unfortunately, the well-known sing-song Catholic prayer to the Guardian Angel, cited at the top of this essay, belongs to the same thought world. It’s a charming prayer for children, easy to learn and to remember, but not exactly appealing to adult sensibilities. Perhaps it's time to reintroduce some of the medieval prayers from those Books of Hours!
1. 1. For the angels
see: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Numbers 328-336,
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City, 2019 (accessible at https://usccb.cld.bz/Catechism-of-the-Catholic-Church/. See also, Pope, Hugh. "Angels." The
Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907.
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm>.
2. 2. For background on Books of Hours see: Wendy A. Stein, The Book of Hours: A Medieval
Bestseller, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
at https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hour/hd_hour.htm. Also,
the online exhibition of the Hours of Henry VIII on the website of the
Morgan Library and Museum gives a good idea of how a Book of Hours was
constructed, although this one did not include the suffrage to the Guardian
Angel. https://www.themorgan.org/collection/Hours-of-Henry-VIII
Excerpts
from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of
the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001,
1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington,
DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be
reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible,
revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine,
Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights
Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form
without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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