Seemingly afloat in midair, this angel was once a voussoir on the north transept portal of the cathedral of Saint-Lazare in Autun, Burgundy. His elongated body is accentuated with fine drapery folds, the sleeves and hem of his garment are decorated with beaded borders, and the feathers of his wings are articulated with deep lines. The fragmentary state of the voussoir no longer allows for a sure identification of the object held by the angel, in all probability a liturgical or musical instrument. The angel is one of a handful of physical remains of the twelfth-century portal, which was replaced with a Baroque doorway in 1776. The fine, calligraphic carving style bears a strong resemblance to the celebrated Eve figure from the lintel of the same portal, now at the Musée Rolin in Autun.
