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Saints Michael and Francis

Juan de Flandes Netherlandish
ca. 1505–9
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 605

This panel was originally part of a large Spanish altarpiece. The artist placed both figures in niches, but in contrast to the frontal, ascetic image of Saint Francis, who is neatly contained within the shallow space, Saint Michael extends beyond his niche. Stabbing the dragon at his feet, the archangel gazes earthward at the apocalyptic vision—a walled, smoking city—that is reflected in his decorative shield. This latter detail hints at Juan de Flandes’s Netherlandish origin. The introduction of a gold background and the broad painting technique, however, reveal his efforts to adapt his style to Spanish taste.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Saints Michael and Francis
  • Artist: Juan de Flandes (Netherlandish, active by 1496–died 1519 Palencia)
  • Date: ca. 1505–9
  • Medium: Oil on wood, gold ground
  • Dimensions: Overall, with added strips at right and bottom, 36 7/8 x 34 1/4 in. (93.7 x 87 cm); painted surface 35 3/8 x 32 3/4 in. (89.9 x 83.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Mary Wetmore Shively Bequest, in memory of her husband, Henry L. Shively, M.D., 1958
  • Object Number: 58.132
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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Christ Appearing to His Mother, Juan de Flandes Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Christ Appearing to His Mother
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ca. 1496
The Marriage Feast at Cana, Juan de Flandes Netherlandish, Oil on wood
The Marriage Feast at Cana
Juan de Flandes
ca. 1497
Portrait of a Man with Gloves, Corneille de Lyon Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Portrait of a Man with Gloves
Corneille de Lyon
ca. 1535
Virgin and Child, Joos van Cleve and a collaborator Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child
Joos van Cleve
ca. 1525
Jacob Willemsz van Veen (1456–1535), the Artist's Father, Maarten van Heemskerck Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Jacob Willemsz van Veen (1456–1535), the Artist's Father
Maarten van Heemskerck
1532

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