Altar of Archangel Michael 1510

Gerard David painted this altarpiece of the Archangel Michael in Bruges, a wealthy city in today’s Belgium, around the year 1500. The picture reflects the city’s culture of religious patronage, as wealthy citizens donated artworks to local churches. David’s image is designed to inspire awe and reverence. In the center, the Archangel Michael is shown triumphing over the devil. On the left and right, the painter includes images of Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard, founders of important monastic orders. The church would have commissioned this painting, and this reflects the institutional power of the church to shape the production and reception of art. How do we learn more about paintings like this? We can learn more by researching the history of Bruges, the lives of its citizens, and the ways in which the Catholic Church shaped social life. Studying such artworks teaches us that art is always embedded in a particular social and institutional context.