He was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, England, the son of a tailor, and one of ten children.
He entered a seven-year apprenticeship to a wood carver at the age of 14 years.

 He received formal training at the Exeter School of Art and later at the Lambeth School of Art.
George Frampton became his mentor at the Royal Academy School, and his influence resonated in Angel's work.
Angel also studied with Sir Thomas Brock.
His professional progression is verified by census data: his occupation in the Census of England and Wales, 1901 was; "Wood Carver – Appren[tice]" and in the 1911 census, "Sculptor".
Turning 30, he was elected in 1919 to the Royal Society of British Sculptors.

His work in the United Kingdom includes the Exeter War Memorial and the Bridgwater War Memorial — also known as the "Angel of Bridgwater".

 
He was especially noted for evocative ecclesiastical sculptures.
 He spent many years doing the six bronze doors at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
He teamed with architect Ralph Adams Cram in outfitting Pittsburgh's East Liberty Presbyterian Church, colloquially known as the "Cathedral of Hope," and did the Last Supper group in marble  as well as  tympana over several entrances.
The commissions and awards were numerous.

In 1930 he completed the Founder's Memorial at Rice University — depicting a seated William Marsh Rice — in line with specifications by architect Ralph Adams Cram.
He also produced sculptures for chapels at Princeton University, St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire) and the Desloge Hospital (Desloge Chapel) in St. Louis, Missouri.

A statue honoring Alexander Hamilton in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois was mired in controversy, at least concerning the surrounding architecture.
Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858–1937), of the Buckingham Fountain family, commissioned the monument.
Its impetus was that Treasury Secretary Hamilton "secured the nation’s financial future and made it possible for her own family to make its fortune in grain elevators and banking."
Consequently, John Angel was hired to model a figurative sculpture and the Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen was to create a "colossal architectural setting" for it.
 The proposed 80-foot tall columned shelter was poorly received.
By Ms. Buckingham's death in 1937, the sculpture’s setting, location and design were uncertain.
Conspiracy allegations surfaced, and the matter became mired in litigation.
After the courts ordered the construction to be completed by 1953, the trustees hired architect Samuel A. Marx.
It was built, but structural problems appeared, and it was eventually demolished in 1993.
The statue was gilded, and is still on display.
He was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, England, the son of a tailor, and one of ten children. He entered a seven-year apprenticeship to a wood carver at the age of 14 years.
 He received formal training at the Exeter School of Art and later at the Lambeth School of Art. George Frampton became his mentor at the Royal Academy School, and his influence resonated in Angel's work. Angel also studied with Sir Thomas Brock. His professional progression is verified by census data: his occupation in the Census of England and Wales, 1901 was; "Wood Carver – Appren[tice]" and in the 1911 census, "Sculptor". Turning 30, he was elected in 1919 to the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
His work in the United Kingdom includes the Exeter War Memorial and the Bridgwater War Memorial — also known as the "Angel of Bridgwater".
 
He was especially noted for evocative ecclesiastical sculptures.  He spent many years doing the six bronze doors at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. He teamed with architect Ralph Adams Cram in outfitting Pittsburgh's East Liberty Presbyterian Church, colloquially known as the "Cathedral of Hope," and did the Last Supper group in marble  as well as  tympana over several entrances. The commissions and awards were numerous.
In 1930 he completed the Founder's Memorial at Rice University — depicting a seated William Marsh Rice — in line with specifications by architect Ralph Adams Cram. He also produced sculptures for chapels at Princeton University, St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire) and the Desloge Hospital (Desloge Chapel) in St. Louis, Missouri.
A statue honoring Alexander Hamilton in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois was mired in controversy, at least concerning the surrounding architecture. Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858–1937), of the Buckingham Fountain family, commissioned the monument. Its impetus was that Treasury Secretary Hamilton "secured the nation’s financial future and made it possible for her own family to make its fortune in grain elevators and banking." Consequently, John Angel was hired to model a figurative sculpture and the Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen was to create a "colossal architectural setting" for it.  The proposed 80-foot tall columned shelter was poorly received. By Ms. Buckingham's death in 1937, the sculpture’s setting, location and design were uncertain. Conspiracy allegations surfaced, and the matter became mired in litigation. After the courts ordered the construction to be completed by 1953, the trustees hired architect Samuel A. Marx. It was built, but structural problems appeared, and it was eventually demolished in 1993. The statue was gilded, and is still on display.
John Angel (sculptor)