The Angel's Whisper

This piece was sculpted after a poem by Samuel Lover. The poem is about an ancient Irish belief stating that when a child smiles in his sleep it's because he is talking to an angel. The sculptor passionate of Neoclassicism and close friend with John Gibson. From this artist, one of the greatest at the time, Spence borrowed technique of smoothly sculpting bodies and the great use of light. The details do not miss in this piece and are especially accentuated in the angel's hair and crown of flowers. The angel gently whispers in the child's ear who is extremely delicately modelled by Spencer. This piece of art was commissioned by an important Liverpool merchant while he was in Italy.这件雕塑作品的创作灵感源自塞缪尔·洛弗（Samuel Lover）的一首诗歌。该诗歌讲述了一则古老的爱尔兰民间信仰：孩童在睡梦中展露笑颜，是因为正与天使交谈。该雕塑家倾心于新古典主义（Neoclassicism）创作，亦是约翰·吉布森（John Gibson）的挚友。作为当时最杰出的雕塑家之一，斯宾塞从他身上汲取了光滑人体的雕刻技法与光影运用的精妙手法。这件作品细节饱满考究，尤其在天使的发丝与花冠上得到了着重凸显。斯宾塞以极致细腻的手法塑造了孩童形象，天使正轻柔地在孩童耳畔低语。这件艺术作品由旅居意大利的利物浦知名富商委托创作。