Kneeling Limestone Angel, France, 17th Century

Sculpture representing a kneeling angel, hands clasped on his chest, head turned towards the sky in an attitude of adoration. Executed in limestone, the figure has beautiful details: billowing hair, draperies with deep folds and remains of wings spread at the back. This type of angel often adorned altars, tombs or seigneurial chapels in the 17th century, a century when French religious sculpture sought to express a sober and touching fervor. The kneeling position, the ecstatic gaze and the partially preserved wings recall his role as messenger and intercessor. The whole exudes a strong presence and a powerful spiritual charm, typical of devotional works of the French Baroque period.