The gentle hills and slopes of Brooklyn’s Evergreens Cemetery are filled with figures of angels: intermediaries between earth and heaven and messengers from God who guard the graves of the dead.
Different angel poses have different meanings. The one above appears to be dropping flower petals, which supposedly symbolizes the spreading of blessings.
Why this angel has its finger to its mouth, I’m not sure. The flowers could indicate a tribute—or that a life in bloom ended too soon.
Not all angels have wings, but perhaps this grief-stricken figure is meant to depict the deep Christian faith of the departed.
Green-Wood Cemetery at the other end of Brooklyn has plenty of haunting angel figures too.
Ephemeral New York 