Mexican Virreyal School (xviii) - The Archangel Saint Michael, Victor Over Satan

Oil on canvas. The depiction of eschatological themes was one of the specialties of the viceregal painters, who developed on their canvases detailed representations of the archangels as soldiers in the service of the faith. The need to evangelize and the military nature of the conquest and Christianization of the territory popularized, for the reasons mentioned, this type of scene, whether pictorial or religious. The painting is of great artistic quality, in an enviable state of preservation. The artist, who undoubtedly has training in fine arts, developed the composition according to a common iconographic model, representing the victorious archangel, spear in hand, the devil at his feet, with the addition of the Latin legend "Who if not God?" on the shield. A high-quality colonial painting, open to attribution, and offering good prospects for revaluation. Dimensions of the image without frame: 53 x 64 cm / 67 x 78 cm, with a magnificent antique gold leaf frame.