Archangel Gabriel
Ivan Meštrovic
European Art
After the horrors of the Balkan Wars and World War I, a disillusioned Ivan Meštrovic turned away from the themes of Slavic history and national identity that had characterized his early work. He began focusing on religious subjects such as this haunting, stylized portrayal of Gabriel, the archangel sent to tell Mary that she would become the Mother of God. His closed eyes emphasize the visionary nature of the event, while the rhyming diagonal of head, hair, and wings suggests the airborne angel’s sudden arrival.
MEDIUM
Marble
DATES
1918
DIMENSIONS
37 × 23 × 9 1/2 in., 369 lb. (94 × 58.4 × 24.1 cm, 167.38kg)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
24.280
CREDIT LINE
Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Ivan Meštrovic (Vrpolje, present–day Croatia (former Austro–Hungarian Empire), 1883 – 1962, South Bend, Indiana). Archangel Gabriel, 1918. Marble, 37 × 23 × 9 1/2 in., 369 lb. (94 × 58.4 × 24.1 cm, 167.38kg). Brooklyn Museum, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 24.280. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 24.280_PS11.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 24.280_PS11.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2022
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