The Archangel Gabriel
Archangels belong, according to the Christian angelology, to the last but one of the nine celestial orders. The Archangel Gabriel fulfills different roles and is depicted in many postures but the standard iconography represents him as the messenger of God.
He is depicted in human form, with young, beautiful, slightly feminine traits, with long hair spread over the shoulders. He wears a tunic and a chiton and is holding a spear, a palm branch or the globus terrarum. In the Annunciation theme, in most of the cases he holds a flower in his hand, which, later on, due to Western influence, becomes the mandatory lily.
Archangels belong, according to the Christian angelology, to the last but one of the nine celestial orders. The Archangel Gabriel fulfills different roles and is depicted in many postures but the standard iconography represents him as the messenger of God.
He is depicted in human form, with young, beautiful, slightly feminine traits, with long hair spread over the shoulders. He wears a tunic and a chiton and is holding a spear, a palm branch or the globus terrarum. In the Annunciation theme, in most of the cases he holds a flower in his hand, which, later on, due to Western influence, becomes the mandatory lily.
