The Annunciation
20 in / 50 cm
A visibly angry, wild unicorn is being soothed by a tiny, delicate angel. The fragile angel is obviously pregnant.
With a stroke of her small hand, she is able to mollify the unchained animal. Here, once again, is contrast: the power of fragility compared with the insecurity of strength.
It also embodies the male/female symbolism: the female angel, in spite of her daintiness, manages to calm her companion’s fury.
Anecdote
I had rented out my house in North Hatley as a location for the filming of a France-Quebec co-produced TV movie. I wanted to make a sculpture of Saint George and the dragon. I was working on the horse when the thirty-odd members of the film crew invaded the house. The ensuing chaos probably changed the direction of the sculpture.
After completing the piece, I examined it closely. The young angel seemed to be announcing something to the unicorn-whence the title The Annunciation. It is well known that because they are time-independent, unicorns and angels cannot procreate. The young, pregnant angel is announcing her impending childbirth to the unicorn, signalling her affiliation with the human race. This accentuation of the human and earthly side of the two creatures implies a certain pain of adaptation.
That is the type of story that was running through my mind.
Treatment
Bronze (20in/50cm). The angel’s skin has been worked with ferric nitrate. Her hair and the unicorn are black. Some models will vary. The wings and mane are bluish. Certain sections are mirror polished. On the artist’s proofs, various elements are plated with 24-carat gold.
Series of eight and four artist’s proofs.
