Angels are sculpted everywhere in Paris, not just on churches but in
unexpected places: holding a lightning rod atop the Théâtre du
Châtelet's roof, adorning a seventeenth-century gilded sundial inside a
courtyard at the Sorbonne, hovering above a railroad headquarters where
a beautiful stone frieze features young angels flying in to work on the
tracks. Subtly, subliminally, the angels are a part of the fanciful and
romantic spirit of Paris. Angels of Paris is the first book to explore
this intriguing and extraordinary subject.
Angels of Paris features beautiful photographs taken from dawn to
dusk, in all seasons, accompanied by text explaining the story behind
the creation of each angel and of the location in which it is found.
Organized chronologically, the book delves into the artistic trends and
historic movements the angels reflect and the stories of the artists who
created them and of those who commissioned them. Readers will learn
about Paris's history, buildings, and monuments through the abundant,
beautiful, and surprising depictions of angels from the Middle Ages to
the twentieth century.
Rosemary Flannery has found angels in friezes, plaques, and
free-standing sculpture; on fountains and façades, clocks and sundials,
monuments and mansions, rooftops and window frames. Angels of Paris is
a unique way for lovers of Paris to learn more about the city in a new
and unusual way.
