Angel in fire

At the gate was a friend of mine, who also played in the fire brigade band, holding a curiously shaped parcel in his arms. He was holding it like a baby in a swaddling bag, and sure enough, there was a sculpture the size of a dwarf in the package. Rescued from a house fire, firefighters at first thought it was a real child, but after the flames were extinguished, it turned out to be a baroque angel statue.

Its gold paintwork and wings had been burnt away, the nails holding the wings to its back were sticking out, and its wood was so charred that it could be used for drawing. I put it on my shelf in my studio, knowing that one day I would make pictures of it – that’s why it came to me – but for a long time I didn’t know how to start.

But the feelings it evoked were heightened when, shortly afterwards, news broke of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Finally, using a newly experimented technique, I was able to recreate the dramatic effect of this burnt-out torso that had lost its former charm and gilded putto.