Saint Michael the Archangel (c. 1280): Art, History and Details

Saint Michael the Archangel (c. 1280) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The Archangel Michael is shown here in his traditional role as the protector of souls who escorts the good into heaven. Though damaged, he holds the remnants of a small figure representing a human soul within his right arm. At his feet, the vanquished dragon symbolizes the saint’s defeat of evil in his struggle with the devil. This sculpture is believed to come from the cloister of the former Benedictine monastery of St.-Mihiel (dedicated to Saint Michael) in eastern France, near Verdun. Much of this abbey was destroyed during the French Revolution.

Object facts

• Title: Saint Michael the Archangel
• Date: c. 1280
• Culture: France, Lorraine
• Type: Sculpture
• Technique: fossiliferous limestone
• Dimensions: Overall: 90 cm (35 7/16 in.)
• Collection: MED - Gothic
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1986.50

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.