Group of Angels 1889

Timothy Cole created this engraving, "Group of Angels," which is an interpretation of a painting by early Renaissance artist Fra Angelico. Cole lived through the American Civil War. The reconstruction era, industrialization, and waves of immigration shaped a rapidly changing American identity. Cole devoted much of his career to reproducing Old Master paintings through engraving, a process that was rapidly being replaced by photographic methods. Here, the ethereality typically associated with angels is juxtaposed against the earthly, almost melancholic, expressions of the figures. Their downcast eyes and somber posture evoke a sense of contemplation, as if they're burdened with the knowledge of earthly suffering. Cole's choice to represent these celestial beings with such human emotion invites us to reflect on the intersection of the divine and the human. In his engravings, Cole sought to preserve and share the artistic heritage of past eras, reminding us of our connection to history. The piece invites us to consider our place within the continuum of art history.