The angel who appears to strengthen Christ during the Agony in the Garden, often shown bearing or presenting the chalice associated with the coming Passion.
The Angel of the Agony refers to the angel in the Gethsemane narrative who strengthens Christ. In later art the angel may present a chalice, a visual reference to Christ’s prayer that the cup might pass from him and to the Passion about to unfold.
Etymology
Agony from Greek agonia, “struggle, anguish.”
Sculptor Notes
The figure is often elevated above a kneeling Christ, creating a diagonal exchange between heaven and earth. The chalice must be clearly presented without turning the angel into a static bearer of an object.
References
https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_one/article_1/paragraph_5_heaven_and_earth.html; Luke 22:43