Saint Michael and the Devil
Spanish
1475/1500
Saint
Michael
was
one
of
the
seven
archangels
of
God
in
the
Old
Testament,
and
he
led
the
heavenly
host
against
God’s
enemies
in
the
book
of
Revelation.
This
sculpture
represents
Michael’s
battle
against
Satan,
who
lies
at
his
feet,
pierced
by
the
saint’s
lance.
This
subject
would
inevitably
have
been
associated
with
the
hope
of
salvation,
since
Saint
Michael
was
often
depicted
weighing
the
souls
of
the
blessed
and
the
damned
in
images
of
the
Last
Judgment.
This
wood
sculpture
is
a
powerful
example
of
the
influence
of
trends
from
northern
Europe
on
the
art
of
Spain
in
the
second
half
of
the
fifteenth
century
through
the
importation
of
works
of
art
and
craftsmen.
The
angular,
dancing
rhythm
of
the
saint’s
pose
and
the
tight,
graphic
quality
of
the
details
of
his
shield,
hair,
and
wings
may
reflect
sources
in
northern
European
prints,
such
as
the
engravings
of
Master
E.
S.
These
elements
would
originally
have
been
enhanced
by
a
painted
and
gilded
surface,
which
at
some
point
was
stripped
away.
| Title | Saint Michael and the Devil |
|---|---|
| Artist | Spanish |
| Date | 1475/1500 |
| Medium | Poplar, formerly polychromed and gilded |
| Style | 15th century |
| Dimensions | 52.4 × 22.9 × 21.3 cm (20 5/8 × 9 × 8 3/4 in.) |