Umbrian Artist

Saint Michael the Archangel Slaying a Dragon

Written in Latin, a fragment from an illuminated Gradual, Introit for the Feast of Saint Michael (Michaelmas), Benedicite Dominum omnes angeli eius… Bless the Lord, all you his angels…

Italy, Umbria or perhaps Emilia, 1280-1290

Overall dimensions, 119 x 133 mm.

Tempura and ink on parchment

$7,000

This fine miniature of Saint Michael the Archangel defeating the dragon opens the Mass for the Feast of Saint Michael, or Michaelmas, celebrated on September 29th. This feast is one of the most symbolically charged feasts of the medieval liturgical year. Saint Michael was venerated as a powerful intercessor and cosmic protector. His triumph over the dragon became one of the most frequently depicted and visually arresting subjects in gothic art. This miniature was originally part of a large Gradual likely made in Italy, probably Umbria, during the last quarter of the thirteenth century. It exemplifies the enduring appeal of this iconic moment of divine victory.

The archangel stands poised within the curling form of an historiated initial B, set against a soft pink ground. He is rendered with striking presence: clothed in a deep blue robe over a pale tunic, his red hair pulled back and his gentle face features arched brows, rose cheeks and pronounced red lips. A golden halo encircles his head. His fiery colored wings protrude behind him. With his right hand, he drives a red spear downward into the gaping mouth of the dragon beneath his feet. The dragon, painted in mottled browns with flecks of red and white, twists upward with bared teeth, its spined tail flicking across the initial. In his left, he holds a globus cruciger, a symbol of Christ’s dominion and in Byzantine iconography, a recurring attribute of Michael as an agent of divine authority. The overall composition, use of color and facial typology reflect the late Duecento idiom, deeply informed by the Byzantine traditions that shaped central Italian painting in this period. It stands as a rare survival from a dispersed manuscript, offering insight into the devotional art and painterly vocabulary of late thirteenth century central Italy.

A compelling visual and stylistic comparison can be made with an Annunciation miniature from a Gradual, sold at Christie’s London (10 July 2024, Lot 2). Though perhaps by a different hand, the palette, figural types and ornamental forms show notable similarities raising the possibility that both fragments originated from the same artistic milieu, or even from a related series of choirbooks.

PROVENANCE:

France, faint graphite notes on the verso read: “ca. 1300 Italie Got-”, likely written by a French dealer or collector in the early 20th century.

USA, Private Collection.

LITERATURE:

Palladino, Pia. Treasures of a Lost Art: Italian Manuscript Painting of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2003.

Freuler, Gaudenz, with Georgi Parpulov. The McCarthy Collection, Volume I: Italian and Byzantine Miniatures. London: Ad Ilissvm / Paul Holberton Publishing, 2018.

Medica, Massimo, Federica Toniolo, and Alessandro Martoni (eds.). Le miniature della Fondazione Giorgio Cini: pagine, ritagli, manoscritti. Venice: Silvana Editoriale, 2016.

Hindman, Sandra, and Federica Toniolo (eds.). The Burke Collection of Italian Miniatures. London: Paul Holberton Publishing, 2021.