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Framed: 28.5 x 32 in | 72.39 x 81.28 cm
Mixed Media and Fine Art Print
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Hand-signed mixed-media limited edition with blind embossing by Gary James McQueen.
Created after McQueen’s time as Head of Menswear Textiles at Alexander McQueen, 'The Flayed Angel' explores the beauty hidden beneath the surface. Suspended between vulnerability and strength, the artwork reflects the artist’s enduring fascination with transformation, where beauty is revealed not despite what lies beneath the surface, but because of it.
The 'Flayed Angel' is inspired by the famous illustration with the same title originally published around 1745–1746 as part of Gautier d'Agoty’s anatomical studies, particularly within Myologie Complète en Couleur et Grandeur Naturelle. The work depicts the back muscles and spine of a partially dissected female figure whose skin has been removed, or 'flayed', exposing the musculature beneath. Despite the graphic subject matter, the figure is posed gracefully and almost serenely, creating an unsettling contrast between beauty and anatomical exposure. This unusual balance between elegance and dissection is what earned the image the name 'The Flayed Angel'.
Modern audiences often view the image as both haunting and beautiful, reflecting eighteenth-century tensions between scientific curiosity, mortality, religion, and aesthetics. Today, 'The Flayed Angel' remains an enduring symbol of the intersection between art and anatomy. Its unsettling elegance continues to provoke discussion about how the human body is represented, studied, and understood in both medicine and culture.
In McQueen’s 'The Flayed Angel', the spine is no longer an anatomical study but a symbol of resilience and transformation. Rendered in gold and emerging from sculptural crimson forms, it speaks to the unseen forces that shape us—the experiences, memories and vulnerabilities that become the architecture of who we are.
This artwork is a mixed-media limited edition with blind embossing on Somerset Satin 410gsm paper.
Find out more about Gary James McQueen's art here.
Delivery & Returns
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The Flayed Angel
Sale price£1,450.00
A closer look
THE FINER DETAILS
Hand-signed by the artist
The artwork is hand-signed by Gary James McQueen.
Ready to Hang
This artwork arrives ready to hang, ensuring a hassle-free setup. Simply unbox, choose your perfect spot, and enjoy its beauty instantly.
Mixed-media Limited Edition
This artwork is a mixed-media limited edition with blind embossing on Somerset Satin 410gsm paper.
The artist
Gary James McQueen
Celebrating fantastical form by exquisitely blending traditional fine art values and groundbreaking digital design, Gary James McQueen crafts romantic, timeless tales and exotic worlds.
Formerly a designer and photographer in the fashion industry, Gary worked with his uncle, the late British fashion designer and couturier Lee Alexander McQueen
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The majority of our originals and limited editions are hand signed by the artist themselves. On some occasions where we have limited edition sculptures, this is hand written into the mould before production. If you're unsure, please contact us.
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In 1995, we opened our first-ever gallery in Stratford-upon-Avon. With just one goal in mind - to make our art accessible to all - our fledgling company began to spread its roots.
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