Artists Continue to Find Inspiration in the Archangels
Archangels were a commonplace subject for artists from the the late Middle Ages to the end of the Renaissance Period. As angels who played a pivotal role in many biblical stories, the four Archangels – Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel were recognized across the religions of Christianity, Juadaism and Islam, although their greatest roles were often documented in apocryphal writings. Archangel statues are still present across Europe due to the popularity they received during the Renaissance era.
The most famed of the Archangel Michael resides in the Santa Maria della Concezione, in the first chael. The work is from Italian artist Guido Reni, who favored the high-Baroque style which evolved from the Roman Catholic Churches edict that religious art should appeal to the common man with drama and emotion. Reni’s The Archangel Michael shows the androgynous angel hovering over the Devil, his foot firmly planted on the devil’s head forcing him to the ground. This is a scene from the Book of Revelations where Archangel Michael commands an Angel Army against Satan and binds him for 1000 years. It is often referred to as Archangel Michael Slaying the Devil.
God’s Messenger Gabriel was the angel who told the Virgin Mary that she would be touched by God and bear a son named Jesus. This biblical event is referred to as The Annunciation and is a frequent subject of Renaissance art. Two works stand out as iconic paintings on the subject. Da Vinci’s the Annunciation was painted from 1472-1475 and is credited to both Da Vinci and his mentor Andrea del Verrocchio. The painting depicts Archangel Gabriel kneeling before Mary, a Madonna lily in hand which historians believe symbolizes Mary’s virginity.
Botticelli’s Cestello Annunciation, commissioned in 1489, captures the same event with similar imagery. The painting is noted for its use of perspective in the tiles that lead the eye to the landscape. The artist shows Gabriel with mouth open, speaking the words from the Gospel of Luke which were added into the paintings original frame. Today both paintings can be seen in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
Archangel Raphael was most often captured in oil as the guardian of Tobias, son of Tobit on his journey to recover hidden money for his blind father, a passage from the Book of Tobit. His role as protector and god of healing is emphasized in these paintings that show him leading the boy by his hand. Filippino Lippi’s version of Tobias and the Angel can be seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. The Book of Tobit became a popular subject for Rembrandt, who embraced the story of the pious family challenged by adversity and assisted by the Archangel Raphael.
Da Vinci used Archangel Uriel as the subject of two nearly identical paintings titled Virgin of the Rocks or Madonna of the Rocks. The painting depict a moment where the baby Jesus encounters his cousin John the Baptist as an infant. In the paintings, the Archangel Gabriel is seated to the Mary’s left holding the baby Jesus. Subtle variations can be seen in Da Vinci’s two paintings. In the version that hangs in the Lourve Uriel points at John. In the version of the painting exhibited in the National Gallery in London, Mary, Jesus and John are haloed.
Dan’ Brown’s Da Vinci Code has brought controversy to these two paintings in the name of fiction, yet – art historians surmise that the original where Uriel points at John who is closest to Mary may have caused confusion about which infant was Jesus and the second painting by Da Vinci removed this gesture.
The archangels appear as popular today as ever and have been frequent subjects of TV and film over the past two decades. Archangel figurines and statues are a popular decorating choice and the trend appears unlikely to abate any time soon.
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