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Saint Michael

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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The Archangel Michael led an army of angels to battle against the devil and cast him down from heaven (Revelation 12: 9). Piero shows him as a beautiful, youthful soldier. He clutches the severed head of the devil, represented as a snake with pointy ears. The panel was part of a polyptych (multi-panelled altarpiece) made for the church of Sant‘Agostino in Piero’s hometown of Borgo Sansepolcro. It was placed to the immediate left of the central panel, now lost, which depicted the Virgin and Child. The lower right corner of the panel includes part of the step of the Virgin’s throne and part of her cloth of gold cloak. The other side panels are in collections around the world. Michael may have been included to honour the patron, Angelo di Giovanni.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Saint Michael

Date

completed 1469

Medium

Oil on poplar

Measurements

H 133 x W 59.5 cm

Accession number

NG769

Acquisition method

Bought, 1867

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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