How does a mere mortal depict a heavenly being? Across religions and centuries artists have sought to make spiritual messengers and protagonists visible through their skill and imagination. Leonardo da Vinci depicts Gabriel with the realistic bird’s wings, Raphael a pair of pensive toddlers. Van Eyck’s angels sing and play musical instruments, in contrast to the phantoms in the poems and pictures of William Blake.
THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER
Mrs Sarah Burles
Sarah Burles studied History of Art at Cambridge University before doing a master’s degree at University College London. She went on to have a career in museum and gallery education, establishing new services in three different museums before working at the Fitzwilliam Museum for many years.
Sarah is the founder of Cambridge Art Tours, which runs tours and courses in and around East Anglia. She is also a Tour Director for a travel company and has led tours to Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and America. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah moved her work online, offering art history courses to audiences all over the world.
OTHER EVENTS
Society
Dr Jacqueline Cockburn
3 Feb 2026 - 13:45
Online Event
Society
Mr Simon Rees
12 Feb 2026 - 10:30
The Spread Eagle Hotel
Online Event
The history and culture of an important trading league based on the Baltic Sea


