{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 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.

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 fair haired, musculatured angel with androgynous features hovering over the Devil, with his foot against the demon’s head forcing him into submission.  This is 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 announced to the Virgin Mary that she would have a son by God.  This biblical event is referred to as The Annunciation and is a common theme 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.  In the painting Archangel Gabriel kneels  before Mary, a Madonna lily in hand which historians believe symbolizes Mary’s virginity.  

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