January 28, 2003
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L ' ange pleureur d ' Amiens .
Dans la cathédrale d ' Amiens , derrière le maître - autel se trouve une petite statue connue du monde entier : " l ' ange pleureur " .
Je me demande pourquoi cet ange pleure . Pleure - t - il parce qu 'il est seul ? parce qu 'il souffre ? parce qu 'il a faim ? peut être pleure - il en voyant les êtres qui se déchirent , les guerres incessantes , le monde qui devient inhumain , la nature dégradée ?
Bel ange , je voudrais te voir sourire . Regarde aussi les belles choses qui se font dans notre monde .
L 'ange pleureur d ' AmiensThe weeping angel of Amiens .
In the cathedral of Amiens ( North of France ) behind the high altar a small statue is standing . It is well known in the worldwide . This is " the weeping angel " .
I wonder why this angel is crying . Does he cry because he is alone ? he is suffering ? he is hungry ? or yet is he weeping at seeing the beings who hurt each other , at seing the unceasing wars , the world becoming inhuman , the defaced nature ?
Sweet angel , I would want a smile from you . Look also at the great things that are made anywhere in this world .
Comments (86)
He looks so sad... or maybe he's mad.
Poor lil Angel!!
...i am delighted you have featured Amiens' Weeping Angel. Why it weeps no one seems to know. However, the quiries are centuries old. Does it not seem logical that some history would have remained to the reasoning?
MuSe
...je vous suis enchanté que ont comporté l'ange pleurant d'Amiens. Pourquoi il pleure personne ne semble savoir. Cependant, les quiries sont des siècles . Ne semble-t-il pas logique qu'une certaine histoire serait demeurée au raisonnement? { v } MuSe
I think he looks frustrated - as if watching the world that was created out of love... slowly go downhill... I can't remember where I read this but someone had made a painted or art piece of the Lord crying.. because of the hurt His children are doing and going through... but yes..if one looks hard enough.. there is beauty too!
I love this post!
many questions like you listed do come to mind...
I think he weeps for us.
Perhaps it is thinking of what may come in the next few months !!!
What a beautiful statue, its so touching. Yes, you're right, there is an awful lot to cry about in this world but when you stop & just look at a beautiful pink, red & purple as well as orange sunset, it seems to beautiful to cause such suffering and pain. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Regrds, Zara.
C'est vrai que les pierres ne peuvent pas parler... mon avis... je pense que notre statue nous montre les émotions d'un français (ou de quelques français) inconnu d'une époque passée.
mike
I'd rather see him smile too Michel.
les anges qui pleurent... un image joli mais triste.
=)
I read a poem at the wedding of my best friend in 1996, it was her 2nd marriage & while I can't recall the author it had to do with not being able to appreciate the good unless you have also had to go through the bad...can't appreciate the beauty unless you have also seen the ugly. I guess what I mean to say is that sometimes, a good cry is all you need to put things in a proper perspective. As my Mother used to always say to me, "Just think how boring life would be if everyone thought the same as you".
My point is that while it is sad that the Angel is crying....just think how happy he will be when he stops crying & finds a reason to be happy!! Am I making any sense??
The little angel breaks my heart. Like you, I wish that I could make him smile and give him a hug.
Oh the sweet Angel, i know if they cry its because there sad we arnt walking close to God. And war would make them cry so would sickness. What ever the reason i hope i didnt do it. Love Fancy
Poor little angel, to be so sad. He makes me feel sad just looking at him. And yet he looks such a child, so it is with a maternal type of amusement that I also look upon the weeping angel.
It is a beautiful statue.
that statue just makes me want to cry. *sniff*
I agree with Tristan. he weeps for us.
that's the saddest angel i've seen...
~emma
You bring up some very good points about the reasons this angel could be crying Michel. In the world we live in today...it could be any reason to cry. Lovely post
.
for some reason I can't really see a spiritual thing with this angel. I just see a little child who is posing for the artist, and is tired and doesn't want to be there anymore. Otherwise, it makes me want to tickle the little fellow and watch him giggle
L'ange semble tres triste
Le pauvre ange. Le pauvre monde-on n'a pas la raison. Bientot mon ami va aller au Korea. C'est fou.
L'ange est un cherubim plutôt qu'un seraphim, je crois. Je n'ai pas su que les anges ont pleuré. J'ai ai pensé jamais réellement à cela!
There are as many reasons to be unhappy as there are to make u happy...
Angels...i think guardian angels...in the face of all the chaos in this world..pains..sorrows..sometimes--one can't help but feel helpless? we can take on only so much burdens on our shoulders afterall...that is why itz so nice to have someone beside us to support and renew our faith! =)
michel, toujours vous donnez une belle image et écrivez de beaux mots. vous êtes chanceux pour habiter en France - le pays du bel art~~~
Tears in my eyes.
Poor angel. Wish I could rock her and make her feel better.
I think, for a brief moment, that God let that angel feel His pain...the pain He has for the dying, the lonely, the hungry, the lost. -Kate
that is one of the saddest sights i have ever seen.
it reminds me of my friend, whose mother died several years ago today. it seems like she is that angel, weeping because she cannot be with her son, on this very difficult day.
The angel weeping, such a famous and unforgettable icon. I see my own little one, Sam, look like this from time to time and it cannot help but touch a mother's heart.
C'est triste mais beau, je pense qu'il pleure parce qu'il est fatigué et il n'est pas content que tout le monde le regarder!
the expression on the little angels face is enough to make me want to weep too.....but perhaps he is weeping for joy?!
Seems george bush has just given another speech--enough to make even a stone statue weep
it is a beautiful statue, Michel. it makes you think, but perhaps that was the intention...
jus browsin:: propzz
lately many of us here in america have been feeling like that angel...
pray for peace sir
~ fauquet .. your blog here .. so very touching ..
the little angel cries so that we may dry our tears and have hope in our hearts once more .. I pray all the angels .. even the smallest ones who carry our sadness .. and all of the beings of this strange and wonderous world .. feel the joy of BEING ..
I pray for peace .
love to you .. dear fauquet
(I still have no pc..that is why I have not been here to your site...sigh)
your friend,
Jude(*
Answer to ChattyCat02 : your opinion contains a part of truth . But this symbol of the weeping angel may be interpretated by various ways .
Je ne sais pas pourquoi il pleut mais j'espere qu'un jour qu'il sourira...
Tolkien is mon auteur favori. Il a ecrit les livres La Seigneur des Anneaux.
C'est une statue très belle et très intéressante. Je ne sais pas pourquoi l'ange pleure mais c'est une scène qui évoque beaucoup d'émotion. Et oui, je parle français! =)
Michel ... another beautiful post but it cried out to me for music.
I found a chopin piano recital CD by Nikolai Lugansky called "The Poor, Sad Angel".
There is a particular piece that adds to the mystery and tenderness of the picture.
But, then again, many great musicals works would be comme il faut. Guy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Recital/files/Waltz_Op54_No2.mp3
Sorry that link didn't work. Try this midi. Guy
http://egalvao.com/chopin/waltz07.mid
how sweet and sad
I think a lot more Angels will have to cry to get the idiots living in this world today to come back to sanity. Sadly I think there will be a war, a dreadful prospect for us all to look forward too. Make hay while the sun shines, or gather snow if you are in a winter Country, Sadly Marjie
angels can be human too.
arlo
I belive this beautiful angel weeps for us all... for his heart breaks to see what is all around us here on earth... maybe he is also crying tears of happiness.. knowing he lives in a far far better place !!!
Hugs... Rose
maybe he is unhappy because he does not like the humans fighting and being mean to eachother. I too feel like that angel. I have felt like that for a long time.
How beautiful, and how sad! Heartbreaking! Karen
Poor sweet angel. Perhaps he weeps for us.
I think he weeps for those who are lost! Have sent you some daffodil buds on my site...and now I see as I go out to work this morning they are blooming so will have to send you some blossoms
Maybe they will help the child's tears!
What a beautiful and sad little statue. I suspect it's hard to watch war and famine...that's my speculation on the tears.
Ça alors! Je n'avais jamais vu un ange pleurer de toute ma vie! C'est une (troublante) première... -- Lise
poor little angel! that is truly a masterwork, you really want to comfort the poor little thing, don't you?
as for poor Jane: i think she's too swept off her feet by all the work waiting for her to even notice her little flag!
we'll have to keep nudging her to get her to look up. 
It weeps for us all ..
The angel is probably not happy with the way the world is... and I seem to agree with him/her...
i've read of that Angel before. it's so amazing that you live there, close to so much history.
Michel,
I had never heard of this 'weeping angel' before, but this is my favorite piece that you have ever written. It is quite beautiful how you appreciate this art and consider the emotions behind the piece. Maybe I can do the same when reading your writing, and wonder why you write such contemplative or sad or happy pieces. Maybe the angel is crying so that we don't have to, or so that we know that someone else is crying too. Maybe he is crying so that we are not alone and that even angels cry. Or maybe I am wrong, who is to say?
-soleilshine
P.S. This is also one of the first pieces of yours that I have been able to understand in French! Maybe my studies are paying off!
Yet another one of your blogs which makes me think. What a beautiful and yet sad statue. Wonderful post. Personally, I think he will be crying as long as there is pain and suffering in this world - which means forever.
Maybe the angels weeping because the sculptor's sharp tools hurt to much!
Or maybe the stone never wished to be a sculpture and weeps on account of that? !
Not all Catholics are hippocrits. But the ones that are, like my Mother and many others, give the Catholic Church a bad representation. I hope you didn't take any of the comments on my site personally, they weren't meant to harm anyone.
Anyways, its breaks my heart to see an Angel cry. Its like witnessing a child weep. Perhaps the Angel is crying because it has to witness all of the hate and cruel things that exsist in this world?
Amour
Hollie
The angel is terrific! Look at that little face! Poor thing... he'll be crying forever.
Michel,
I think the angel will smile one day. I think the hurting people are the reason angels cry, but there will be a day when the hurting will be finished and the angel and the people who believe in Jesus will all smile!
<---- like this smile!
Hugs,
Deb
Perhaps the angel weeps for those who do not know God.
As ever,
Carol
I think he cries for our missed opportunites to love each other. Beautiful statue. Thanks for sharing that image.
DG
Maybe He/She is a guardian angel who knows what is going to happen to his/her charge esp.at this dreadful time. I agree that there will be many angels weeping because of the actions of people here, war , famine, genocide, corruption and all the things that happen all over the wonderful world God gave us to care for. Too sad to even comtemplate
I think that he is crying because he feels helpless. All he can do is stand by and watch. Sometimes, I think that is how our Father in Heaven feels. He has to stand by and watch His children make mistakes.
Mmmm. I just came from zera's page. You, she and I all seem to have chosen faith for the subject today. Well-said.
I do believe the Angel is crying for us in this world. That is beautiful, Michel
One cannot help but see their own child in this statue. It makes you want to reach out and hold him.
Thank you for the belated birthday wishes Fauquet.
That angel looks amazingly sad and world weary, and for someone who looks so young!
How can the angel do anything but cry with the sad state of affairs are world is in? Such a shame, but I like you would love to see the angel smile. But I had NEVER heard of the weeping angel before, I thank you very much for sharing it. You have a great day and a wonderful weekend ! ! ! ! Much love and hugs ! ! ! ! !
To me, it shows that there is beauty in pain, also. It is as much a part of the life cycle as joy is.
I found this scripture:
"For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning. "
Psalms 30:5
It is Saturday morning and the house is quiet, so I am going round Xanga catching up with the journals I have missed in this busy week. I think anyone who looks down on the world would weep at the moment. Best wishes, Tom
in a way, i can relate to the angel weeping. though it it really tough for me to shed a tear, i can understand the sadness. is happiness forever?
Thanks for your kind word Fouquet. It is my own painting, but I've based it on one painted by Velaquez back in the 17th century... might even be the late 16th century. It's still unfinished - I'm new to painting and so I'm not quite sure what I'm doing or how to complete it yet!
Mauvais.......comme quelque enfants que j'enseign.
it is a truly sad looking face. Maybe it is for what he sees from his vantage point. Maybe while inspecting individuals closer he can find ones to make him smile at their efforts to be closer to be the kind of people we were created to be, in imitation of a loving creator...
maybe because there are already so many smiling... at least, from the vantage point of the artist. After all? who's going to notice another smiling cherubim or seraphim?
I find it interesting how so many of the comments people leave here seem to reflect part of their philosophy on life. Whether they give reasons to be sad, or wish to think of better things, or wish to comfort the little angel...
What an intriguing sculpture! I love reading what other people have thought of it. I thiink the sculpture is beautiful. Great blog again Michel!
GOD BLESS YOU FRIEND! LOVE FANCY
Thank you for putting that angel on here, Fauquet...I feel like i really identify with it as of late...thank you for your awesome comments!! I nearly wanted to weep along with the little one...
Hi ((((((Michel))))) Yes.. How sad this angel looks. I would imagine all the angels have cried at one time or another when they see what shape our world is in... I believe God cries too.
Someday there will be much to celebrate when we go home... where there is nothing but love and smiles for all.
Have a wonderful Week Michel.. my best to your family.
This is beautiful! Thank-you for sharing.
Super photo! Did you take it? I think the angel is crying parce qu'il a faim (comme moi)et il veut manger un croissant au chocolat!
Clementine
Je pense qu'il pleure parce que nous ne le ferons pas pour nous-memes.
Angel tears..... a symbol of sorrow.
sometimes things are sad...
"i am working toward a time when everything gives me joy"
Il pleure probablement de la violence dans l'humanité. Il est comme il était jamais, n'est-ce pas?
Aw, what a sad, but beautiful little angel! I want to hug him! I've often wondered if angels do cry over humans when we are mean, fighting, hurting others. ???
I envision them saying to us, "You are loved, you have so much to be grateful, God cares about you..." etc. 
HUGS!!!
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