Renaissance Masters Appreciation of the Archangels
Archangels were a popular subject of art from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance Period. As angels who played a pivotal role in many biblical stories, the four Archangels – Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael and Michael were prominent in religious lore of Christianity, Juadaism and Islam, though mentioned very little in the canonical Gospels. Archangel statues are still present across Europe due to the popularity they received during the Renaissance era.
The most well known depiction 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 engage the commoner with dramatic and emotional appeal. 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. The painting depicts a scene from the book of Revelations where Archangel Michael commands an Angel Army against Satan and binds him for 1000 years. The painting 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 common theme of Renaissance art. The most famous Annuncation paintings are works by Da Vinci and Botticelli. 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 to symbolize Mary’s virginity.
The Cestello Annunciation by Botticelli, 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 agape, speaking the words from the Gospel of Luke which were engraved into the paintings original frame. Both paintings are on exhibit at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
The angel Raphael was most often painted 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. Rembrandt took great interest in the Book of Tobit and the Archangel Raphael, making it a frequent subject of his work.
Da Vinci created two nearly identical paintings titled Virgin of the Rocks or Madonna of the Rocks. The painting displays a scene where the baby Jesus encounters his cousin John the Baptist as an infant. In the paintings, the Archangel Gabriel looks on. Subtle variations can be seen in Da Vinci’s two works. In the version of the painting on display in the National Gallery in London, Mary, Jesus and John are haloed. In the version that can be seen in the Lourve, Uriel points at John.
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 did create confusion and the second painting by Da Vinci removed Uriel’s extended hand.
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.
Tags: archangel, archangel statues, archangel gabriel, archangel michael, archangel raphael, archangel statue, archangel uriel
