Angels from the Vatican

the long version

Angels have had an all-pervasive presence in the collective artistic and religious expressions of the Western world. From the beginning of humanity's recorded encounters with the divine, they have made their appearance as messengers, intermediaries, guides, and protectors. In this sumptuous book, treasures from the extensive collections of the Vatican in Rome show how, through the ages, artists have represented the invisible, spiritual begins known as angels. This volume illuminates images of angels from Byzantine, Renaissance, Baroque, and modern Wester art as well as winged figures from the time of the Assyrians, Etruscans, and Romans. A preface by His Holiness Pope John Paul II introduces this fascinating look at the extraordinary variety of ways in which artists have made visible the spiritual beings known as angels.