Artwork
Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon
Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The work depicts a armored figure identified as Saint Michael, poised atop a green dragon with a yellow head and pronounced teeth.
About this work
Overview
The work depicts a armored figure identified as Saint Michael, poised atop a green dragon with a yellow head and pronounced teeth.
The work depicts a armored figure identified as Saint Michael, poised atop a green dragon with a yellow head and pronounced teeth. He bears a halo, red wings, and a spear, while his brown armor and curly hair are rendered against a gold background. A decorative frame with pointed arches and diminutive figures crowns the composition, and the painting is part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure represents the archangel Michael, traditionally portrayed as a heavenly warrior triumphing over evil, symbolized here by the subdued dragon. The juxtaposition of celestial armor and the beast’s ferocious form underscores the theme of divine victory over chaos.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a vivid palette—red wings, green dragon, gold backdrop—to accentuate contrast between the sacred and the monstrous. The use of a halo and detailed armor suggests a blend of medieval iconography with a decorative, possibly Renaissance-influenced, framing motif.
History & Provenance
Currently housed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the piece’s earlier ownership and date of creation are not specified in the available records.
Context
The depiction aligns with longstanding Christian artistic conventions that illustrate Saint Michael’s battle against Satan, a subject frequently rendered in liturgical art to convey moral triumph.
Artist & collection
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Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Saint Michael and the Dragon
St. Michael and the Dragon
Saint Michael Vanquishing the Devil
Saint Michael
Saint Michael
Archangel Saint Michael and the Angels at War with the Devil
The Archangel Michael with the Dragon
Saint Michael
Saint Michael
Saint George Fighting the Dragon
Saint Michael Archangel attacking the dragon
The Archangel Michael Defeating Satan