angel wearing a breastplate and a helmet with a lion at the top and three feathers, holding a sword aloft in his PR hand; angel also wears a shield on his PL arm, printed with, "QUIS UT DEUS"; angel wears a short skirt and a flowered sash over his PR shoulder; angel stands on a fantastic animal with a fierce dog-like head with open mouth with many teeth, lion-like body, thick tail and bat-like wings; silver figures, gilt base

The Archangel Saint Michael in Triumph, c. 1780

The image of Saint Michael killing a dragon comes from the description of an epic battle between good and evil found in Revelation, the last book of the Christian Bible: “And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. . . . The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan.” The inscription Quis ut deus (Who is like God') on the shield is a Latin translation of the saint’s Hebrew name, Mîkhā'ēl.

Giuseppe Sanmartino was known for dramatic and technically complex depictions of religious subjects. For Saint Michael and Saint Raphael, he collaborated with silversmiths, who spent long hours polishing, punching, and chasing the expanses of metal. Chasing involves the use of hammers and punches to create sharper surface details and textures, as in the feathers of Saint Michael’s wings.

Details
Title
The Archangel Saint Michael in Triumph
Artist Life
1720–1793
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.24.2
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

angel wearing a breastplate and a helmet with a lion at the top and three feathers, holding a sword aloft in his PR hand; angel also wears a shield on his PL arm, printed with, "QUIS UT DEUS"; angel wears a short skirt and a flowered sash over his PR shoulder; angel stands on a fantastic animal with a fierce dog-like head with open mouth with many teeth, lion-like body, thick tail and bat-like wings; silver figures, gilt base