Talk:Smiling Angel

Wiki Education assignment: The Middle Ages

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 12 January 2026 and 8 May 2026. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Eazagot (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Hgmcgui (talk) 14:11, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

Upcoming New Edits

I am currently a student at Illinois State University and I will begin to edit this article soon. I will add three new topics that I will outline below in order to add more depth to the article. I plan to keep majority of the work that is already presented. I will expand upon what had already been said. And I will create new headings/subheadings to keep this expansion of information organized.

Topic 1: Construction/Historical Context- This section will go over the historical importance of the angel as it stands next to St. Nicasius. In addition to how the angel contributes to certain trends in the Middle Ages like urbanization, religious values, the French Monarchy, and culture. (For this section, I will insert a photo that shows the Smiling Angel within context of the statues around it/portal as a whole)

Topic 2: Gothic Importance and Influence- This section will put the Smiling Angel into context as defining the gothic period in art. I will describe how historians are able to interpret the angel as gothic by comparing it to Romanesque and Renaissance sculptures. I will use both evidence of comparison and religious/cultural values and ideas in the Middle Ages to show the how the Smiling Angel contributes to ever-evolving art.

Topic 3: Interpreting the Statue- This section will contain much content that is already written. I will expand upon it through the understanding of many art historians that art is interpretive to each viewer. In addition, I will explain how the angels meaning has evolved over time, and all in all is a symbol for a combination of nationalism, French history, local history in Reims, trends in the Middle Ages, cultural values, christianity, and the gothic style. Lastly, I also would like to show how this sculpture can be visited today and explain how that is something unique about this sculpture.

My goal in my new edits is to explain how just a statue on a Cathedral can hold a lot more meaning than what meets the eye. I will do this by showing the history, importance, and influence of the statue from the Middle Ages and the time it was created and compare it to more modern history, importance, and influence (WW1 propaganda). Eazagot (talk) 01:09, 30 April 2026 (UTC)