Aartsengel Michaël beschermt christen tegen Satan 1623 - 1660

Curator: This engraving, dating from between 1623 and 1660, depicts the Archangel Michael protecting Christians from Satan. It’s attributed to Pieter de Bailliu. Editor: The eye is immediately drawn to the angel with the flaming sword; quite dramatic, and full of implied movement and heavenly protection! Curator: Absolutely. It exemplifies Baroque engraving, heavily reliant on line work. The artist employed different techniques to define shapes, create shading and texture. The material quality, especially within devotional art, directly communicates and instills religious devotion. Editor: Indeed. Consider how the iconography reinforces the religious narrative. Archangel Michael, the celestial warrior, is presented here as a protector. His dominance, expressed with the lifted sword and protective shield, contrasts starkly with the defeated Satan, who appears as an embodiment of sin and chaos. Look at the symbolic weight of the cherubs overhead versus the writhing forms below! Curator: What I find intriguing is that the printmaking would have required significant teamwork to bring it into existence: artists, engravers, printers and distributors; even more fundamental than this labour would be the economic investment of time and money that enabled it to exist at all. The materiality of the image also is interesting to study when compared with contemporaneous paintings depicting the same narrative: engraving has particular affordances in terms of how light and form is captured within line work. Editor: Right! This representation also participates in long artistic tradition; the trope of a divinely ordained hero combating darkness is one common through history, often deployed during moments of societal uncertainty, offering solace or promoting righteousness through a known symbol. Curator: Reflecting on de Bailliu's approach, it’s fascinating to recognize how much labour goes into producing even what appears to be the simplest devotional item; an army of makers stands invisibly behind what would be owned and venerated in private homes. Editor: Seeing how skillfully layered this artwork is with well established motifs and cultural anxieties certainly provides further insight into both the piece itself and those for whom the piece held power and meaning.