Between God and Man: Angels in Italian Art

With essays by Marco Bussagli, Cecilia Sica, and Roberta Bernabei

Many have written about the nature and iconic function of angels, so much so that angels are among the most resonant figures representing religious culture throughout the world. These luminous and ethereal creatures are so prevalent in the collective imagination that artists of every period have drawn, painted, and sculpted them.

Between God and Man: Angels in Italian Art presents works by seminal Italian artists--including Titian, Filippo Lippi, Tiepolo, Botticini, and Solimena--of and about angels. This catalog documents an exhibition for which the Mississippi Museum of Art serves as the sole venue. The exhibition draws from significant collections in Italy, including the national museums of Rome, Ravenna, and Venice. More than 130 works of art in the exhibition are reproduced in full color, amply displaying how the angel figure has been depicted in various mediums and art periods, from the third century B.C. to the twenty-first century.

The book includes essays by leading Italian art historians and scholars and a preface from Vatican Museums Director Francesco Buranelli. Between God and Man provides an overview of how one of the world's most artistically revered cultures has represented a central figure in religious imagery.

Francesco Buranelli is director of Vatican Museums and the curator of the exhibition Between God and Man: Angels in Italian Art. Robin C. Dietrick is curator of exhibitions at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, where she organizes and designs exhibitions.