Messenger or Missile? Angels With Glad Tidings, Doom, Gloom or Perdition

Wednesday 6 December 2017

Caroline Holmes

Caroline Holmes has lectured in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Europe and Japan. She lectures for the University of Cambridge ICE (Course Director for International Summer Programme), the Royal Horticultural Society, museums, travel companies and Clio Voyages for francophones. She is a consultant designer specialising in evoking historic, artistic and symbolic references, and is also the author of 11 books including Water Lilies and Bory Latour-Marliac, the genius behind Monet’s water lilies; Impressionists in their Gardens; Follies of Europe: Architectural Extravaganzas; Monet at Giverny and Icons of Garden Design. Theatre productions: How does your garden grow Mr. Shakespeare and Impressionists in their Gardens: living light and colour. She has also been a presenter and contributor on television and BBC Radio 4 and the 2017 recipient of the Herb Society of America ‘Elizabeth Crisp Rea Award’.

For more information please see Caroline’s website.

Angels, familiar and fantastic, playing major and minor roles, can be seen in centuries of paintings, engravings, illustrations and sculptures. Archangel Gabriel and the Annunciation or Archangel Michael fighting the good fight. Angelic references also abound in Islamic and Jewish traditions, the latter beautifully evoked in Chagall’s Bible Message. Time to contrast the beauty and light of cherubims and seraphims with the dark, fiery abyss of Satan, and contemplate the Angel of the North.

Caption: Angel of the North designed by Antony Gormley 

Suggested Further Reading

• Please see Caroline’s website for information on her books and other resources

The notes for this lecture can be downloaded and printed here

Below are photos of this lecture