Soaring Angel

Mediums: bronze.
Location: The cathedral of the city of Gustrow (Germany).

The sculpture was unique at that time due to its formal solution, since it was initially intended for hanging. The facial features of the flying angel repeat the look of a good friend of Ernst, artist K. Kollwitz. Her son, a military volunteer, died in the early days of the war, and Barlach knew her deep feelings. The sculpture was created for the cathedral in the city of Gustrow and was a response to the suffering of all mothers who had lost their children. In 1937, when the country needed metal, the sculpture was removed and melted into weapons. According to the original preserved in the plaster, the “Angel” was restored in two copies – for the original location and the city of Cologne.