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All Angels' Church Pulpit and Choir Rail

Karl Theodore Bitter American, born Austria
1900
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700
The Austrian-born Bitter was one of the foremost architectural sculptors working in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century. This pulpit and choir rail from New York’s All Angels’ Church (demolished 1978) were commissioned by Sarah R. Cornell in memory of her husband and two sons and unveiled on All Saints’ Day (November 1), 1900. Angels carved in high relief, playing musical instruments or carrying appropriate attributes, dramatically twist and turn as they move across the balustrade. Above the pulpit, in an apotheosis of the joyous processional theme below, a large trumpeting angel appears. Supporting the column is a partial figure of Moses holding the tablets of the Law.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: All Angels' Church Pulpit and Choir Rail
  • Artist: Karl Theodore Bitter (American (born Austria), Vienna 1867–1915 New York)
  • Date: 1900
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Limestone, oak, and walnut
  • Dimensions: 47 1/2" h. (120.7 cm.) (horizontal portion of choir rail)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1978
  • Object Number: 1978.585.1, .2
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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3825. All Angels' Church Pulpit and Choir Rail

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