The Sculpture “Angel of Grief”
Storey’s “Angel of Grief.” Image from www.online-utility.org.
In cemeteries across the world, “Angel of Grief” is a recurring, statuary subject based upon a prototype by William Wetmore Story from 1894. Donning classical Roman costume, the angel is portrayed slumping over a headstone as a lugubrious testament to bereavement. Eternally suspended in despair, her drooping wings and buckled posture vividly express the figure’s mournful tone, where folded arms obscure the statue’s face. This familiar archetype appears across both our cultural and literal landscape; there are six replications in California, eight in Texas, four in New York and others in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Costa Rica. One of the most notable examples of “Angel of Grief” is in the Arboretum of Stanford University. The sculpture was commissioned by Jane Stanford for her brother Henry Lathrop in 1901. Due to its prominence, the BBC television program Dr. Who even based several episodes on supernatural monsters that referenced these funereal Angels in the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th seasons.
Story’s “Angel of Grief.” Image by Livia B.
While this statue is based on ancient Roman imagery, the heavy lassitude of her posture is far more modern. William Story was one of the most prominent neoclassical sculptors in America, though he expatriated to Rome. Among some of his most famous works are the Semiramis in the Dallas Museum of Art, based on the ancient queen of Babylon, and Cleopatra in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His corpus is renowned for its psychologically brooding depictions of female figures.
William Story moved to Rome in 1850 after abandoning his career as a lawyer to pursue sculpting full time. He resided in the illustrious Palazzo Barberini, shared by a contingent of American intellectuals. Having lived a fruitful and active life in Rome for many years, Story’s wife Emelyn died at the age of 74 in 1895. While in the throes of a deep despair, the sculptor’s children encouraged their father to produce a work to memorialize his lost partner. Describing Emelyn as “My life, my joy, my stay and help in all things,” William Story carved his last statue before dying the following year. He and Emelyn were buried together in the Cimetero Acattolico (translated as the Non-Catholic Cemetery) in the city.
“Eternally suspended in despair, her drooping wings and buckled posture vividly express the figure’s mournful tone”
In 1896, Cosmopolitan Magazine wrote that “The loss of the wife of his youth whom he survived but a year was a bitter blow [and] with her passed his interest in affairs. It was only when his children suggested that he should make a monument to her memory that he consented to resume work; the design he chose was the “Angel of Grief” and it is wrought to exquisite finish, as are the statues modeled in his summer prime. When this was done he left the studio never to return.” Since then, “Angel of Grief” has served as a poignant symbol for the collective reverberations of mourning across cemeteries around the world.
Story’s “Angel of Grief.” Image by Livia B.
Related Articles:
- On Grief and Grieving: Caring for Yourself When Someone You Cared for Dies (amnottheonlyone.com)
- Coping With Grief: How to Handle Your Emotions (everydayhealth.com)
- – Life lessons from end-of-life industry experts, medical professionals and those grieving loss (sevenponds.com)
Our Annual Seven Holiday Gifts for Someone Who Is Grieving, 2024 Edition
“Making Mobiles” by Karolina Merska
“Hands Up to the Sky” by Michael Franti & Spearhead
Among other questions I have, what was the cause of Emelyn Story’s death? A monument that has inspired so much recognition, should also inspire more mention of the lady it is meant to memorialize.
The artist worked incredibly hard on it, right before his own death for the central purpose of commemorating his wife. But most of us know so little about her. That seems ironic. There should be more mention made of HER and HER background…as well as WHY she was the source of his inspiration and (apparently) his will to live. I’ve looked on the web and have had difficulty finding any significant details about her or even a photograph. Her husband went to a lot of trouble to make her more prominent in our collective memory and we seem to have missed that point almost (though admittedly not quite) completely.
Thanks. Please provide MUCH more of her story here as well. THANKS!
I just think it would be fascinating to hear more than a sentence of two about the lady who inspired this beautiful piece of art, that has become so famous and reproduced the world over. She must have been an amazing lady.
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Such a beautiful write up to celebrate this marvelous sculpture. The Angel of Grief has inspired many sculptors across the world to consider its form in creating other angel sculptures and we have customers always approaching us wanting to have a replica of the Angel of Grief for their memorials and monuments. Thank you for such an inspiring post!
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I have been lucky enough to see this statue in Rome. The whole cemetery is absolutely beautiful, peaceful and cool on a hot summers day. Well worth a visit.
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Wondering where the others are in California; you say there are 6? I know perhaps 2 in Colma Cypress Lawn and Serbian Cemetery), one in Chico, and the one in Stanford. Could you please tell me where are the other 2?
Also I know 2 in NY; one in Rochester, one in Brooklyn…but there are variations around that I don’t count (one is in Brooklyn). So I’m wondering where the others are that you are counting.
I have a list of about 34 all over the world but I’m sure there’s more. And only have 6 fairly faithful ones in Texas.
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There is on in Metairie, Lousiana in the Metairie Cemetary there at the Chapman-Hyams Memorial.
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Bob, I am in Alabama. I would really like to know of the locations of these; you say you know of 34? I was in Louisiana just last week.
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There is one in Columbus, MS not too far away …the Teasdale monument
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Hi Bob,
Julia is not with SevenPonds any longer so I can’t ask her where the other two California angels reside. I was only able to find reference to one other, at the Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego. Ditto New York. The only ones I can find reference to online are the ones you refer to in Rochester and Brooklyn. I’m sure there are others, but I couldn’t say where they are. Perhaps, as you suggest, they are similar but not actual replicas.
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Do you know where can I buy a copy of the angel of grief? I need one like the original…
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