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Smiling Angel

Reims, Italy

Smiling Angel

The Smiling Angel (French: L'Ange au Sourire), also known as the Smile of Reims (French: Le Sourire de Reims) or Angel of the Annunciation, is a stone sculpture at the Cathedral of Reims. Sculptors that were pioneers of the Gothic style came from workshops in Chartres, Paris and Amiens to work on th

e Reims Cathedral.The most striking aspect of the cathedral is its façade, particularly its Annunciation sculpture, which includes the "Smiling Angel". The Angel was carved between 1236 and 1245.This figure is located on the right side of the north portal of the west facade. The Smiling Angel sculpture is one of thousands at the Reims Cathedral and just one example of the many gothic sculptures in the world. It has gained much popularity throughout history and is recognized today as a tourist attraction in Reims, France. The significance of the sculpture expands beyond the aesthetic and religious ideas that first meet the eye. The Smiling Angel represents a combination of cultural, political, and social trends in art, French history, the Middle Ages, and Christianity.

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