European Decorative Arts and Sculpture Fragment of an Angel Probably made in Munich, Germany, Europe1760s Ignaz Günther, German, 1725 - 1775 Lindenwood with remains of paint, mounted on a painted wooden volute that was possibly part of the original support * Gallery 275, European Art 1500-1850, second floor (Pollack Gallery) 1967-136-1a,b Purchased with the John D. McIlhenny Fund, 1967 |
LabelThis angel, and another now at the Cleveland Museum of Art, were almost certainly made for placement at either side of a tabernacle on an altar. Ignaz Günther, a leading sculptor in southern Germany, mostly received commissions for elaborate altarpieces and figures for religious contexts. His virtuoso skills as a carver and ability in capturing movement and spiritual expression are apparent in this refined figure, which would have been completed with wings and decorated with paint or metallic ornamentation that has since been lost.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
