In Agostino Carracci’s “Whispering Angel,” cherubs are not as innocent as they appear, as they spy and scheme beneath the cover of thick golden foliage. Angels were integral to Italian art, and were portrayed in Biblical contexts, which were the mainstay of iconic and early Renaissance artists. These paintings were often funded and displayed by the churches; angels were included in all the scenes from stories of Mary, Jesus, the saints and the disciples. Angels were also cast in the role that Roman and Greek gods played, as muses to painters, sculptors, architects, writers and musicians.

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