Saint Michael

Unknown

ca. 1530 · Wood, paint, and gilding · The Cloisters

The warrior-archangel Michael, clad in intricately carved and painted armor, treads on a dragon, a symbol of the devil. In his left hand, he carried scales, symbolic of the Last Judgment, to which he summoned earthly souls. Michael’s right hand once held a lance, and his wings have been lost. The forward-bending pose and foreshortening indicate that the figure was made to be positioned at a considerable height, perhaps above or flanking the central shrine of a large retable.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1530

Medium

Wood, paint, and gilding

Culture

Spanish

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 1953