Angel holding papyrus statue

Angels bearing scrolls are the messengers of revelation in Christian art. They appear in nativity scenes proclaiming peace on earth, at the Annunciation announcing the incarnation, and at the Last Judgement holding the unrolled record of human deeds. The papyrus marks them as bearers of news from beyond — a written word so important that its delivery required a heavenly courier. In Renaissance painting these angels float between cloud and earth, and their inscriptions often carry the most quoted lines of the gospel.