Giovanni Buora
Italian, 1450 - 1513Pair of Angels Holding Candlesticks, n.d.
On view
Sandstone
Dimensions39 × 14 × 10 in. (99.1 × 35.6 × 25.4 cm)
Gift of Viola E. Bray, 2005.146.2
This pair of sandstone angels may have been part of a larger sculpted group in a church interior not yet identified. Although the figures are angels, they are depicted without wings. Their clinging drapery, naturalistic pose, and graceful features are all influences of the naturalism favored in ancient Greek and Roman art, which was revived during the Renaissance. The candlesticks, held in opposite hands by each angel, may have been a later addition, as there is evidence of them having been broken off and repaired at some point in their history. Only the front and sides are carved, suggesting that the backs were not meant to be seen. Consequently, the square base they stand on may also be a later addition.
