Head of angel 

Johann Georg Pinzel, active in 18th century Ukraine, carved this head of an angel from wood. Pinzel lived in a society shaped by religious devotion and political unrest. His work emerges from a cultural context marked by the intersection of sacred art and local folk traditions. The way Pinzel represents his subjects is deeply entwined with the socio-political landscape of his time. The face of the angel, with its furrowed brow and slightly open mouth, speaks to a certain emotional intensity. Angels in art are often depicted as symbols of purity and divine intervention, yet Pinzel's rendition infuses it with a sense of human-like concern. By allowing the wood's texture to remain visible, Pinzel defies the polished aesthetics of the Baroque. The raw, almost unfinished quality suggests a connection to the material world and the realities of human existence. It challenges the traditional notions of angelic perfection, reminding us of the complex interplay between the divine and the earthly.