Angels of the Night 

Author: Cordelia Urueta 

Title: Angels of the Night (Ángeles de la noche)

Creation date: 1957 

Materials/Techniques:  Oil on canvas

Dimensions:  29.9 × 38.2 inches

Location:  Private collection

In Angels of the Night (Ángeles de la noche, 1957), Cordelia Urueta brings to life a cosmic, ethereal vision inspired by the Theosophical ideas that significantly influenced her artistic philosophy. Her involvement of Theosophy in the 1930s deeply impacted her approach to color, form, and spiritual symbolism. In this painting, Urueta employs bold, swirling colors and sweeping, abstract forms to evoke a sense of transcendence. The figures, angelic and otherworldly, seem to float and merge with their surroundings, their forms dissolving into pure energy. By using vivid, contrasting colors, such as the deep reds, blues, and greens, Urueta invokes the powerful and radiant presence of these beings, capturing their vibrational essence rather than their physicality.

This piece also reflects Urueta's dedication to portraying women as spiritual, powerful figures, often intermediaries between the earthly and the cosmic realms. Here, the angels are depicted as ethereal feminine figures ascending or gliding, as if drawn toward a radiant source of light, symbolizing higher consciousness or divine insight. The sky, filled with shadows and colors that blend into one another, evokes the mystery and depth of the night, suggesting a liminal space where material boundaries dissolve.

Urueta’s use of color and abstract forms draws the viewer into a meditative state, resonating with the idea that art can reflect unseen dimensions. Urueta’s painting transcends physical reality, portraying not just a scene but an experience of spiritual presence, reminding us of the vibrational and transformative power of color and form in the pursuit of universal understanding.