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Archangel Michael by Reni: 9 Interesting facts
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Summary of Archangel Michael by Reni:
Title: Archangel Michael Tramples Satan
Artist: Guido Reni
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Date: circa 1630 and 1636
Style: Baroque
Height: 293 cm (115.3 in); Width: 202 cm (79.5 in)
Collection: Santa Maria Della Concezione, Rome
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9 Interesting Facts
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1 – Archangel Michael Tramples Satan by Guido Reni is the most famous depiction of Saint Michael the Archangel.
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2 – The Baroque style oil on canvas painting was commissioned in 1630 and completed in 1636.
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3 – It was painted by Italian artist Guido Reni.
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4 – Archangel Michael who is the commander of the Army of God, wears a Roman military cloak and cuirass in this 17th-century painting by Guido Reni.
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5 – Michael is an Archangel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
He is mentioned 3 times in the Old Testament (Daniel) and numerous times in the New Testament (Revelations and in Jude).
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6 – The painting was commissioned to be placed in the Capuchin Church of Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome, and is still there to this day.
Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, or Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins, is a church in Rome, Italy, commissioned in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII, whose brother, Antonio Barberini, was a Capuchin friar. It is located at Via Veneto, close to Piazza Barberini.
The church was designed by Antonio Cassoni and built between 1626 and 1631. The church contains the body of St. Felix of Cantalice and the tomb of the Saint Crispin of Viterbo.
The altar in the church has the dramatic painting of St. Michael the Archangel by Guido Reni, and Gherardo delle Notti‘s Christ Mocked.
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7 – In 1630, the Archangel Michael painting was commissioned by Cardinal Barberini, a member of one the 2 most important noble families of Rome at the time. The Barberinis were the family of Pope Urban VIII.
Another important Roman family was the Pamphilii family.
The Barberini and Pamphilli families did not like each other.
The Pamphilii family also had a Cardinal in the family: Giovanni Battista Pamphilii. It is believed that Cardinal Pamphilii had somehow insulted artist Guido Reni, seriously damaging his reputation.
Guido Reni was upset and decided to take revenge on the Cardinal Pamphilii.
When the Archangel Michael painting was finished and presented to the public, everyone was astounded by the beauty of the angel, but also surprised by the face of the devil which looked like Cardinal Pamphili.
The Pamphilii family demanded an explanation from Reni.
This was the artist’s only reply: “It is true that I will never be able to do justice to angelical beauty, but I have seen the devil in the face, and that’s how I’ve painted him. Therefore, I won’t change a single thing.”
Guido Reni also said: “ If Cardinal Pamphili was so unlucky as to resemble him (satan), the painter could not be blamed for this.”
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8 – The insult was even worse when Cardinal Pamphilii became Pope Innocent X.
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9 – The church where the painting still hangs today has a crypt located just under the church. In 1631, Cardinal Barberini, a member of the Capuchin order, ordered the remains of thousands of Capuchin friars exhumed and transferred to the crypt. The bones were arranged along the walls in a macabre artistic style that many tourists come to Rome each year to see.
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Who is St Michael / Archangel Michael?
Michael means ‘Who is like God?‘
Michael is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
In Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran systems of faith, he is called Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Michael.
In the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox religions, he is called Saint Michael the Taxiarch.
In other Protestant churches, he is simply called Archangel Michael.
Michael is mentioned 3 times in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, Michael leads God’s armies against Satan‘s forces in the Book of Revelation, where during the war in heaven he defeats Satan.
In the Epistle of Jude, Michael is specifically referred to as “the Archangel Michael”. Catholic sanctuaries to Michael appeared in the 4th century, when he was first seen as a healing angel, and then over time as a protector and the leader of the army of God against the forces of evil.
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Prayer to St Michael
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle,
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
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References for Archangel Michael by Reni
https://aleteia.org/2017/09/08/when-st-michael-crushed-a-very-pope-ish-looking-devil/
I love this! Thank you!
Thank you for reading!
We have been to this church. It was unbelievably interesting. I would recommend it to everyone.