“This striking terracotta sculpture of the Archangel Michael, created around 1495, offers a rare look at a preparatory model for a larger, lost work. Its detailed form and intense expression make it a powerful example of late 15th-century Netherlandish religious art.”
Here, the Archangel Michael stands poised, his gaze direct and unwavering. This terracotta sculpture, likely a model for a larger work, captures a moment of intense concentration before battle. Michael, a powerful figure in Christian tradition, is typically depicted as a warrior saint, and this rendition emphasizes his strength and divine purpose. The sculptor, known as the Master of the View of Saint Gudula, has imbued the figure with a sense of dynamic potential, even in stillness. The detailed drapery and the subtle turn of the head suggest a mastery of form, allowing light and shadow to play across the surface and define the archangel's resolute expression. This piece offers a glimpse into the artistic process of the late 15th century, where such models were crucial steps in creating monumental religious art.
- Artist
- Master of the View of Saint Gudula
- Date
- 1495
- Medium
- Terracotta
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Overall (confirmed): H. 33 7/8 x W. 16 1/2 x D. 8 1/4 in., 39.6lb. (86 x 41.9 x 21 cm, 17.9398kg)
- Collection
- European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
- Culture
- Italian, Florence
- Credit line
- Partial and Promised Gift of Alexis Gregory, 2004
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
Observe Michael's focused gaze, directed slightly downward.
Notice the detailed, swirling drapery around his legs and arms.
Look at the remnants of wings on his back, suggesting their original grandeur.
See the intricate details of his armor, particularly the breastplate.
1 more detail is waiting.
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Master of the View of Saint Gudula
This enigmatic Early Netherlandish painter, active in Brussels, is known for his detailed religious scenes and portraits of church patrons.
Further Works by Gudula
The Crucifixion
1330 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Lamentation
1330 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Abner's Messenger before David; The Queen of Sheba Bringing Gifts to Solomon; The Annunciation
1475 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Life and Miracles of Saint Godelieve
1475 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Young Man Holding a Book
1475 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Virgin and Child with Saint Anne Presenting Anna van Nieuwenhove
1479 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Saint Paul with a Donor; Christ Appearing to His Mother
1480 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Virgin and Child
1480 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Gudula: works from the same years.
Same era · 1480s–1510s
Christ Crowned with Thorns
Hieronymus Bosch · 1495 · National Gallery
Same era · 1480s–1510s
Portrait of a Musician
Leonardo da Vinci · 1485 · Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
Same era · 1480s–1510s
Jacopo Pesaro, Bishop of Paphos, being presented by Pope Alexander VI to Saint Peter
Titian · 1504 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
Same era · 1480s–1510s
Drunkenness of Noah
Michelangelo · 1509 · Sistine Chapel
Same era · 1480s–1510s
Hercules
Albrecht Dürer · 1496 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Same era · 1480s–1510s
Plate with arms of the Tosinghi family
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1495 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1480s–1510s
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints John the Baptist and Sebastian
Pietro Perugino · 1493 · Uffizi Gallery