Da Vinci: Inspired by Angels
Archangels were a frequent inspiration for art from the the late Middle Ages to the end of the Renaissance Period. As Angels of Presence, with the permission to enter the presence of God, the four Archangels – Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel were recognized across the religions of Christianity, Juadaism and Islam, though mentioned very little in the canonical Gospels. 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, a church commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1626. The work is from Renaissance painter Guido Reni, who was a master of the Baroque style which evolved from the Roman Catholic Churches edict that religious art should engage the commoner with dramatic and emotional appeal. Reni’s The Archangel Michael shows the fair haired, musculatured angel with androgynous features standing above Satan, his foot firmly planted on the devil’s head forcing him to the ground. This is a scene from the Book of Revelations where Archangel Michael leads an Army of Angels against Satan and binds him for 1000 years. It is often referred to as Archangel Michael Slaying the Devil.
The Archangel Gabriel was the angel who announced to the Virgin Mary that she would be touched by God and bear a son named Jesus. 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. The painting depicts Archangel Gabriel kneeling before Mary, a Madonna lily in hand which historians believe symbolizes Mary’s virginity.
The Cestello Annunciation by Botticelli, commissioned in 1489, shows the same Annunciaton event with similar themes. The painting is noted for its use of perspective in the tiles that lead the eye to the landscape. The artist shows Gabriel with mouth agape, speaking the words from the Gospel of Luke which were added into the paintings original frame. Both paintings are on exhibit at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Archangel Raphael was most often painted as the guardian of Tobias, son of Tobit on his journey to recover hidden money for his blind father, a passage from the Book of Tobit. His role as god of healing and protector is emphasized in these paintings that show him leading the boy by his hand. Filippino Lippi’s version of Tobias and the Angel can be seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Rembrandt took great interest in the Book of Tobit and the Archangel Raphael, making it a frequent subject of his work.
Da Vinci used Archangel Uriel as the subject of two nearly identical paintings titled Virgin of the Rocks or Madonna of the Rocks. The painting displays a scene where the baby Jesus encounters his cousin John the Baptist as an infant. In the paintings, the Archangel Gabriel is seated to the Mary’s left holding the baby Jesus. Subtle variations can be seen in Da Vinci’s two works. In the version that hangs in the Lourve Uriel points at John. In the version of the painting exhibited in the National Gallery in London, Mary, Jesus and John are haloed.
Dan’ Brown’s Da Vinci Code has brought controversy to these two paintings in the name of fiction, yet – art historians surmise that the original where Uriel points at John who is closest to Mary may have caused confusion about which infant was Jesus and the second painting by Da Vinci removed Uriel’s extended hand.
The archangels appear as popular today as ever and have been frequent subjects of TV and film over the past two decades. Archangel figurines and statues are a popular decorating choice and the trend appears unlikely to abate any time soon.