An angel represented as the personal protector and guide of an individual, commonly shown accompanying or shielding a child or traveler.
A guardian angel is represented as a heavenly protector assigned to guide and defend a person. In Catholic devotional art the type often shows a large angel leading, shielding, or pointing the way for a child or vulnerable figure.
Etymology
Guardian from Old French garder, “to protect”; angel from Greek angelos, “messenger.”
Sculptor Notes
The relationship between the figures is the subject. Scale, gesture, eye line, and physical overlap should communicate protection. The angel should not merely stand beside the protected figure; the composition should make the act of guardianship visible.
References
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2018/heavenly-bodies/exhibition-galleries-met-fifth-avenue