Angel with Donor Arms

An angel painted in Beaune’s Hôtel-Dieu (15th c.) supports a heraldic shield with towers and keys, symbols of a benefactor family. These figures adorned the beams and corbels of the Great Hall, where celestial messengers carried patrons’ coats of arms. The imagery linked earthly charity to heavenly reward, reminding patients that the hospice was sustained by faith and civic generosity.