Saint Michael
n.d.
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
sheet: 24 x 1 5/8 in. (61 x 4.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of James Clark McGuire, 1930
Accession Number
31.54.37
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer’s woodcut *Saint Michael* captures the archangel in a dramatic confrontation with the devil, armed with sword and shield. Created by one of the Northern Renaissance’s greatest printmakers, this work exemplifies Dürer’s ability to convey intense action and moral struggle within a compact format. The tags highlighting shields, swords, and the devil suggest a classic depiction of the heavenly warrior triumphing over evil, a theme that resonated deeply with viewers in the early sixteenth century. As a woodcut, the piece showcases the medium’s distinctive bold lines and textured sur...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...