san michele che pesa le anime

The Weighing of Souls (San Michele che pesa le anime) was one of the most theologically charged subjects in medieval and early Renaissance iconography, depicting the Archangel Michael as psychopomp and divine judge. Biagio d'Antonio's version belongs to the tradition of altarpiece panels for chapels dedicated to Michael, which were common in Florentine churches given the archangel's role as protector of the city. The subject demanded careful attention to the iconographic convention: one soul defended by a small figure of the Virgin or a virtue, one threatened by a demon attempting to tip the scales.

Biagio's Michael is armoured in the late Quattrocento Florentine style — reflecting the influence of Antonio Pollaiuolo's energetic warrior saints — with the scales rendered as precise metalwork. The demons pulling at the scales are given grotesque, characterful faces that contrast with the serene archangel.