Czech artists Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová began exploring the depths and possibilities of glass in the 1950s. Their work is recognized worldwide for elemental strength, purity, and emotional content as well as for demonstrating the tremendous optical and physical properties of glass.

For Imprint of an Angel I, Libenský and Brychtová have pushed glass material to its maximum potential. The effects of light highlight the “angel,” whose outline or presence is imbued in the glass.

The monumental sculpture stands almost 8 feet high and is comprised of three separate tapered forms that stack upon one another. Each section is cast, weighs approximately 300 pounds, and needed to be an exact series of angles and measurements in order for the sculpture to be stable and uniform. The surface and edges of each section of the sculpture are textured, which—along with the optical effects—provides a constant and changing source of pattern. Space is defined by the edges of each plane, creating a narrow void within the minimal form. When lit, varying thicknesses of glass throughout the sculpture, along with the central void, provide a changing landscape of transparency, translucency, and opacity.