Saint Michael Defeats the Devil

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Delacroix made this small sketch for a much larger commission: the ceiling of the Chapel of the Holy Angels in the church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris. In this biblical scene, the archangel Michael vanquishes Satan. Delacroix's powerful, athletic presentation draws from religious paintings by Titian and Rubens, among others. The Saint-Sulpice commission was part of an effort by Napoleon III and other officials to revivify Parisian churches in a bid for national reintegration following the French Revolution.

Source ↗