Artwork
Angel Blowing a Trumpet
Angel Blowing a Trumpet is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The drawing depicts a winged angel leaning forward while sounding a long, golden trumpet.
About this work
Overview
The drawing depicts a winged angel leaning forward while sounding a long, golden trumpet. Executed in quick, light lines, the work resembles a sketch rather than a finished piece. It belongs to a series of studies Degas made in the late 1850s while preparing a large religious composition that was never completed.
Subject & Meaning
The figure draws on biblical imagery of the seven trumpeting angels described in the Book of Revelation, as well as passages that liken Christ’s voice to a trumpet and portray angels guiding Saint John the Evangelist. Degas does not illustrate a specific scriptural episode; instead, he abstracts the concept of an angelic herald announcing divine revelation.
Technique & Style
Rendered with swift, gestural strokes, the drawing functions as a preparatory study. The line work is loose and sketch‑like, emphasizing the gesture and form over detailed modeling. This approach allowed Degas to explore composition and movement before committing to a larger, more polished painting.
History & Provenance
Created between 1856 and 1858, the drawing was part of Degas’s preparatory work for an ambitious history painting on Saint John the Evangelist accompanied by an angel. The intended large canvas was never realized, leaving these studies as the primary visual record of Degas’s religious project from that period.
Context
During the mid‑1850s Degas, primarily known for his later Impressionist subjects, engaged with historical and religious themes common in academic art. The study reflects the era’s interest in biblical narratives and the artist’s own exploration of dramatic, narrative composition before turning toward modern life subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.
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