Interpretation Of Angels In The Annunciation By El Greco

Human beings along with the world around us are constantly changing. People are molded by what they see and experience. We are creatures easily influenced and altered. Trauma in particular can break you down and turn you into something completely foreign. If humans can change so drastically, can Angels? Angels are supposedly the mediator between God and man, bridging the gap between Heaven and Earth. Usually represented as beautiful and pure like in the painting, The Annunciation, by El Greco. In the elegantly executed oil painting there is an angel dressed in golden robes, descending from the clouds to tell the Virgin Mary she is to have the Son of God. The angel is holding lilies, which symbolizes purity and virginity, and is followed
Walter Benjamin, a Jewish German philosopher felt a strong connection to the print and purchased it in 1921. Benjamin took his own life fleeing Nazis, but before he died, he wrote Theses on the Philosophy of History. In the essay he stated his well-known interpretation of Angelus Novus. Benjamin wrote, “His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet.” We both agree that this angel is witnessing a catastrophic event and that it is looking towards the past. Benjamin renamed Angelus Novus, which means “New Angel, ” to the “Angel of History.” This symbolizes the change that is happening because of what is going on in the world. He also talks about how he believes that progress is trying to hurl the angel into the future when he would rather stay in the past, “But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress.” The philosopher is talking about progress in a negative way by referring to it as a violent storm. This could correspond to the progress being made in weaponry in World War one because Benjamin also mentions debris that grows
The title is one of the only hints that this thing is supposedly an angel and not a human-like bird. Klee gives us an abstract and personal view of these mystical beings. It is made up of thin lines, geometric shapes, and unsettling asymmetry. The background looks dirty and worn because of darkened corners and specs all over. With subdued colors of brown, yellow, and orange, the composition of the print also feels gloomy and chaotic. Its curly hair, which almost looks like scrolls, is going in every direction along with its winged arms being blown back. This creature looks more like an animal or bird rather than having human features that the tradition ideal angel is given. It has talon-like feet with wings that are also its arms. There is a triangle that resembles a tail feather on the lower half of the body as well. The angel seems like it is in awe and mortified with its mouth open, eyes wide, and looking at something in the distance. It almost looks as if whatever this being sees is causing it to cry golden