Artwork
Saint Michael
Saint Michael is an oil painting by the Italo Byzantine artist Master of Belmonte. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the archangel Saint Michael in confrontation with a demon, a standard iconographic motif that signifies the triumph of divine good over evil. As a religious work from the mid‑15th century, it reflects the archangel’s traditional role as a heavenly warrior and protector of the faithful, embodying the broader theological theme of the victory of virtue over sin.
Technique & Style
The work belongs to the religious genre and portrays the Archangel Michael in combat with a demon, reflecting contemporary devotional iconography.
The painting Saint Michael, created circa 1450 by the Master of Belmonte, is executed in tempera and oil on a wooden panel. Its dimensions are approximately 217.2 cm in height by 119.4 cm in width, as recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue. The work belongs to the religious genre and portrays the Archangel Michael in combat with a demon, reflecting contemporary devotional iconography.
The support is a wooden board, typical of early Renaissance panel paintings, and the surface shows the combined use of tempera underpainting with oil glazes to achieve depth of colour. No detailed condition report or handling history is provided in the consulted sources.
History & Provenance
The painting Saint Michael was created around 1450 by the Master of Belmonte, executed in tempera and oil on wood. It originally adorned the bell tower of San Miguel, as indicated by its historic location, and later entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is now housed. This trajectory traces the work’s ownership from its ecclesiastical setting to its present museum provenance.
Saint Michael by the Master of Belmonte, dated 1450, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to Wikidata records, the painting's location is associated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the bell tower of San Miguel. The work is executed in tempera and oil paint on wood, with recorded dimensions of 217.2 cm in height and 119.4 cm in width. No specific accession number or detailed exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Saint Michael, a religious painting on wood from approximately 1450, is attributed to an artist known as the Master of Belmonte. This work, now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, visually articulates the archangel Michael's traditional role as a celestial warrior. It captures a moment of divine triumph over malevolent forces, characteristic of devotional art from the mid-15th century that emphasized themes of spiritual victory and protection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Master of Belmonte is the notname of an anonymous Spanish painter active in Aragon around 1460 to 1490, named after works connected with the town of Belmonte.
