Angels and Airplanes, from War: Mystical Images of War

In this composition, the angular geometry completed by the wings of planes and angels contrasts with the angels’ circular halos. Early in the war, aviation was used for aerial reconnaissance photography, which could perhaps explain why these airplanes lack any sign of artillery. It was not long after Natalia Goncharova made this print that the airforce began to be used for many other purposes in wartime. The pilots and angels share a celestial point of view that raises questions about the kind of knowledge required to make decisions in war.