Author Comment:

Below the Wings of an Angel is the picture of part of a statue taken at the Musée du Louvre in Paris in March 2005. It is a close-up shot of the buttocks of an angel bending and partially kneeling to touch a butterfly and a flower (this action is not present on the picture).

Incongruity and human values are found in this picture in the following ways:

* Many people, when they see the picture for first time without looking at the description think that it is the picture of a young child’s behind. It looks like a real child. The sculpture is very well done (see feet details) and the combination of the light and colour of the marble make it look more realistic. It fact, the picture looks more realistic than the original statue because it does not show the face which, on the statue, had a more rigid look. I have met people who honestly thought I had taken the picture of a naked child.

* We can “see” the warmth and the softness of the stone. There are some resemblances to the human skin.

* There is a touch of humour in this picture. It is somewhat more sensual than looking at the face because it is usually hidden and there is some taboo associated with this part of the body. However, everyone would agree that the buttocks of a young child are cute and innocent.

* Art, including the reproduction of the human feelings, is one of the ways human beings express themselves. In this picture, the sculpture is deeply “human”.