On my second trip to Angelus Rosedale, I searched a bit further afield and discovered some lonely treasures scattered about the grounds. The first two such treasures, a pre-1900 female Angel sculpture and a pre-1890 male Angel sculpture with a star gracing the crown encircling its brow, stood guard over a hillside that looked down upon yet more graves on the premises.
I decided to render the pictures in black and white, which brings the pictures into strong relief, making them even more striking than had they been shown in their original daylight aspect. It takes away distractions and helps the viewer to see the deeper details of the work. The female Angel’s wings, for example, show incredible detail work. The spines of the feathers themselves are even visible, along with the artist’s carefully rendered flaws in the edges of those feathers. It seemed right to adopt her as the masthead, so to speak, of Illiterati Photography.
It’s funny when you look into the face of the female Angel, and if you allow yourself to see it, you’ll recognize the features of actress Drew Barrymore, who wouldn’t even be born until decades hence.
Makes you wonder.
The male Angel, however, is a stronger figure. He stands guard with a strong yet gentle expression. He wears a star-capped crown, lighting the way of the souls that people the grounds. You can see that he’ll keep them all safe and sound.
The final figure is of an angelic watcher who kneels atop the marker over one of the graves. Unlike the previously mentioned Angels, it’s more difficult to see her wings, which seem to peek out from over her shoulders. She seems to see inside you, wanting to know what your business is at the cemetery. I found myself greeting her respectfully and even asking if it was okay to take her picture.
Silly, I know, but you had to have been there. If and when the time comes that you do see her, you may find yourself doing the very same thing.