Ethereal Angel Sculpture Appears to Effortlessly Float Above the Ground

October 10, 2020

“The Angel,” clay, 27 in x 17 in x 18 in, 2017

American artist Benjamin Victor is renowned for his incredible figurative sculptures that recall classical masters such as Michelangelo and Bernini. He is the only living artist to have three of his sculptures in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Among Victor’s impressive oeuvre of different sculptural works is a depiction of an ethereal angel floating above the ground.

Created in both clay and in bronze, The Angel appears almost downcast as her long gown drapes in texture folds. Her large wings are extended on either side and she crosses her arms over her knees, palms facing upwards. “The Angel was inspired by photographs taken from model and dancer Dayna Marshall,” Victor explains on Art Renewal Center’s website. “I was amazed as she effortlessly leaped into the air and took a dynamic, yet delicate pose. In my mind’s eye, I saw a vision of her as an angel floating weightlessly on outstretched wings. I used the beauty of the lines created by her expert gesture to compose the drapery and wings.”

Although the composition of the figurative sculpture is beautiful in and of itself, Victor made sure to add delicate details to the subject’s feathered wings, flower-dotted hair, and supple skin. “The romantic concept of The Angel speaks of love and death, beauty and frailty, timelessness and temporality,” Victor says. “It creates a visual paradox by presenting a young and beautiful angel in a somber pose. She is passionate, yet spiritual. She is ethereal, yet naturalistically rendered. Her enigma is that of all humanity; we are both spiritual and physical beings.”

The Angel is a part of the Art Renewal Center‘s collection. Scroll down to see it cast in bronze. Afterward, you can view more of Victor’s exquisite clay and bronze sculptures on his website and by following him on Instagram.