Archangel Michael

The sculptural image shows the full-length figure of the Archangel Michael as a young man. He holds a sword in his right hand; his left hand is clasped to his chest. The iconography of the Archangel Michael is quite diverse and reveals different aspects of his mission. For example, the image in military armour indicates his supremacy over the heavenly host. In this work, the slender figure of the angel is depicted from the front in a classical contrapposto pose. There is a particular static in the work. The archangel's head is turned to the right shoulder, and his long, graceful neck smoothly passes into the lowered shoulders. The master depicted a figure with an elongated oval face, a high forehead, a low line of brow arches, deep-set small eyes, a straight nose, and a wide mouth. Strands of wavy hair are visible under the archangel's helmet, falling to his shoulders and framing his face. The Archangel Michael is dressed in a short tunic. A metal shell outlined with a golden line is put over a tunic. The work is characterised by a generalised pattern of drapery, broken by the dynamic modelling of the chlamys covered with chaotic lines of folds.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery