Archangel Michael (c. 1636) by Guido Reni. Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome. [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.What would Christmas be without some angels? This striking painting of the Michael the Archangel is by Italian Baroque painter Guido Reni (1575-1642). In characteristic Baroque fashion, the painting is full of drama. The large figure of Michael is wearing Roman battle attire prepares to impale a tough-looking man representing Satan. Behind him is a shadowy setting with rocks in the foreground, a dragon lurking behind the Archangel, and hint of red that suggests the fires of Hell. This is certainly not the peaceful, white-garbed angel on a Hallmark card, but this classically-proportioned angel with large, grey wings and a voluminous pink cloak this would certainly look impressive on top of a Christmas tree.
Alexandra Kiely, aka A Scholarly Skater, is an art historian based in the northeastern United States. She loves wandering down the dark and dusty corners of art history and wholeheartedly believes in visual art's ability to enrich every person's life.
Her favorite periods of art history are 19th-century American painting and medieval European art and architecture. When she not looking at, reading about, writing about, or teaching art, she's probably ice dancing or reading.
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A Scholarly Skater 