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I get what you're going for with this, but to me the tree on the right doesn't balance well with the tree behind the statue. There's not enough of it - you'd be better off centering the statue more and having open sky on the right. Either way, it's a well-crafted image from a technical standpoint, but yes, it does get rather cliche. Part of that is hard to avoid unless you either shoot from a much lower or much higher perspective - bring a ladder to get eye level with the statue or get down on the ground and shoot up at it. I'd also like to see a bit more of the pedestal - at the moment it feels like you've cut off her feet (I know you didn't, but the way it's cropped, the base feels cut off).

TFC - I appreciate your kind help - espec. taking the time to write. Peter echoed your thoughts on the feet on the other image. You also reinforce a thought I had about bringing a ladder. The statue is on a moderate slope, affording little option in angle w/out something to change the elevation. The tree on the right evaded me altogether.
I'm bunged up about the cliche aspect. On one hand - it got to be a cliche for a reason, but familiarity robs it of any impact - other than likely negative. I suspect the theme would do better if abstracted of the religious part. 'Easier to connect w/ a different context. Frodo & Gandolph are easy to respond to. Angelic images - less easy 'cause of all the baggage.
Again, TFC, most grateful for your kind help.

I think also because it is so contextless (without you saying it's in a cemetery, we don't know it's in a cemetery - it looks like a funerary monument, especially if you've been to a late 19th/early 20th century American cemetery, but you have to assume). Perhaps pulling back a little and giving it context would also ease off the religious cliche and ground it a bit more. Then you have more than one note to play, and it becomes more interesting. Another thought would be to shoot it with a yellow or orange filter to bring out more separation between the statue and the sky - you don't want to go full-on red filter with dark/black skies, as that's not the message this image is conveying, but some more tonal separation between the statue and the background would help make the statue more of the subject and less about the religious iconography.

TFC, this is golden for me. I was aiming the other way - to divorce the statue from the cemetary context. 'Seems a case where less really was less. For good or ill, I'm fixated on composition, so each of these things educates my eye and imagination. 'Sure appreciate it.

This isn't to say there isn't a picture there of just the statue. It's just this is not it. Go back and revisit it and shoot again. Certainly you have the technical chops to realize whatever vision of the statue you want.

How about cropping the left and right trees out completely? The open part of the sky seems to lead up along with the statue's gaze.

Pbro - thank you. I'll give it a shot at home & not repost - don't want to bore people. I appreciate your kind help.

The first thing a Judge would say if I put this into Brentwood Photographic Club Print Competition would be " Feet cut off" as I have said on the other photo -- also tones are a bit 'grey' overall but Keep Snapping and Uploading here !! ( By the way , if someone saw me with a LADDER in London Road Cemetery Brentwood they would call the POLICE ! )

Peter, Thank You!