Saint Michael and Other Angels

Spinello Aretino's Saint Michael and Other Angels, painted around 1391, depicts the archangel Michael as celestial warrior and commander of the angelic host, a subject of particular military and civic significance in medieval Italy. Spinello was renowned for his dynamic, energetic treatment of narrative and figural subjects, and his depictions of angelic warfare were among the most dramatic in late Trecento painting. The panel at the National Gallery, London, likely formed part of a larger altarpiece ensemble celebrating the heavenly hierarchy.

Egg tempera and gold on panel with Spinello's characteristic vigorous drawing and bold colour contrasts. The dynamic poses of the angels in combat and the detailed rendering of armour and wings demonstrate his gift for dramatic movement within the conventions of gold-ground panel painting.