The Archangel Saint Michael in Triumph, c. 1780
Giuseppe Sanmartinoexpand_more
Silver, gilt bronzeexpand_more
Gift of Al and Mary Agnes McQuinn in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Minneapolis Institute of Artsexpand_more 2015.24.2
On View in Gallery 350expand_more
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.