Duplicate of the 1642 painting by Guido Reni, Archangel Michael
St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy
Mosaic
293 x 202cm
Artist Guido Reni was born in Bologna on November 4, 1575. At the age of 10, Reni began his apprenticeship under mannerist painter Denis Calvaert. His style was greatly influenced by the novel naturalism because of his time spent studying at a progressive art school run by the Carracci family, frescoes created by Raphael, and ancient Greco-Roman sculptures. In his religious and mythological works, Reni displayed Baroque liveliness and complexity with classical moderation, affectionate emotion, and delicate coloring. Reni’s painting of the Archangel Michael hangs in the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. A mosaic copy, dated 1757, of the painting was created a mere 125 years later and is in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican above the Altar of St Michael the Archangel. The duplicate is executed directly from the original, fully preserving the perfect beauty expressed by the artist. In his creation of the Archangel Michael, Reni depicts the angel as the armed and prepared guardian of Heaven and Earth against the eternal hostility of the challenger. It shows Michael trampling Satan, who has recognizable features to that of Giovanni Battista Pamphili, who was later elected as Pope Innocent X. The work was commissioned by Antonio Cardinal Barbernini, who was a fierce rival of Pamphili.
Resources
http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Altars/StMichaelArchangel/StMichaelArchangel.htm http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/498122/Guido-Reni
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