Archangels were a commonplace subject for artists from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance Period. As angels who played a pivotal role in many biblical stories, the four Archangels – Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel were prominent in religious lore 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.
Perhaps the best known painting of the Archangel Michael resides in the Santa Maria della Concezione, in the first chael. The work is from Renaissance painter 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 fair haired, musculatured angel with androgynous features standing above Satan, 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 leads an Army of Angels 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 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 to symbolize Mary’s virginity.
Botticelli’s Cestello Annunciation, commissioned in 1489, shows the same Annunciaton event with similar themes. 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, to represent his 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.
The angel 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 evident 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 looks on. Subtle variations can be seen in Da Vinci’s two paintings. 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.
While the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown has created some controversy around these paintings and the true identity of Jesus in the image – 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 have transcended their religious role to become popular figures of pop culture spawning countless film and television properties. Archangel figurines and statues are a popular decorating choice and the trend appears unlikely to abate any time soon.
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