The angels that sang the _Gloria in Excelsis_, or knelt near at hand
at the birth of Christ, were usually larger than the _putti_, girlish
in form, and very beautiful of face. They were dressed sometimes in
colors, as with Correggio (kor-red´-jo); sometimes in gold brocades of
gorgeous pattern, as with the Vivarini (vee-vahr-ee´-nee); sometimes in
white and blue, as with Piero della Françesca (frahn-ches´-kah). Again,
they frequently had jeweled crowns or embossed halos or peacock-eyed
wings. It was the idea of the old masters to make them decoratively
beautiful as well as representative of purity and truth. And they
carried out this idea still further in the faces, which were always of
the most lovely types they could find or imagine. To us today these
angel faces are perhaps the most attractive feature of this early
church art of Italy.
[Illustration: CORREGGIO; ANGEL GROUP (detail of fresco at Parma)]
The same kind of angels, but clothed usually in white, appeared to
the Shepherds, attended the Holy Family in their flight into Egypt,
stood by the river bank at the baptism of Christ, were with Him in
the wilderness, in the garden, at the crucifixion, watched by the
tomb, and rolled away the stone from the door. Others of the angelic
host appeared at times to warn Abraham, to present a message to
Saint Joachim, to guide Saint Peter out of his prison. They were all
ministering spirits, but without specific names.
[Illustration: FRA BARTOLOMMEO; MADONNA ENTHRONED (detail)]