Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon is a woodcut of 1498 by Apocalypse (Dürer), part of the Apocalypse series that brought the young artist international fame.
In addition to sales of the series, many impressions (copies) of the woodcut were sold individually. The series contains fifteen woodcuts, each one depicting a different scene from the Book of Apocalypse or Revelation of St. John.[1] The Revelation tells the story of the end of the world, and consequently many of the woodcuts contain dark scenes. The series first appeared in an illustrated version of the Book of the Revelation of St. John, and the series is sometimes referred to as the Revelation of St. John Series.[2] This series brought Durer his first experience with fame and also contains the famous The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Other works in the series include the Angel Shows St. John the Heavenly Jerusalem and The Vision of God the Father among the Candle-Holders. Following the release of these woodcuts, Durer quickly gained popularity throughout Europe.[3] In 1511 Durer released another edition of the series, and this time included many new pieces, such as the frontispiece St. John Inspired by the Virgin Mary.[4] Since its release, the Apocalypse series, including St. Michael Fighting the Dragon, has been reproduced numerous times and is part of the Western Canon. This engraving currently is located in the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe.
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Beginning in the 14th century with the work of Petrarch, the father of humanism, humanist ideals began to spread throughout Europe. Early humanists stressed the importance of studying the classics, Greek and Roman works, and learning the liberal arts. During the 15th century, Renaissance humanists, applied humanism to their civic lives and stated that people should use their knowledge in the service of the state. They also believed that individuals had a great potential to succeed and could use that potential to improve society. In northern Europe, Christian Humanists combined humanist ideals with Christianity by emphasizing both education and scriptural knowledge. Artistically, humanists encouraged the study of the human form to accurately portray the beauty of the human body. One of the leading Christian Humanists was Desiderius Erasmus, who became a friend of Albrecht Durer when Durer visited the Netherlands in 1520 and 1521.[5] Well before that visit, Durer traveled to Italy in the autumn of 1494 and talked with many Italian humanists. He also visited the workshops of numerous Italian humanist artists, including Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini.[6] Due to this exposure to humanism and Italian art, Durer became fascinated with how to best capture the proportions of the human body and consequently spent much time studying the human body and anatomical proportions. This interest can not only be seen in many of his paintings, but also in a number of his engravings, including St. Michael Fighting the Dragon.
Another major influence on Durer’s works was the rise of Nuremberg as an intellectual center and as a leader in engravings. One of the main reasons behind Nuremberg's prominence was the release of the Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. This book contained around 650 original illustrations from Michael Wolgemut, one of the leading engravers of the late-Gothic era, and his workshop.[7] The Nuremberg Chronicle not only demonstrated the capabilities of the new printing press, but also paved the way for the work of Albrecht Durer in the coming years.
Albrecht Durer was an apprentice under Wolgemut and learned the art of engraving from one of the most well known engravers of the time. Technically, the development of better printing presses in Nuremberg allowed for Durer to include much more detail in his work, from depicting St. Michael’s hair with little curls to capturing the sails of two boats off in the distance.[8] It also allowed for his work to be more easily distributed.
"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven" (Rev. 12:7). As recounted by the Revelation of Saint John, at the end of the world war will break at between Heaven and Hell, between good and evil. As the commander of the Army of God, Archangel Michael leads the other angels in the fight against evil, represented in this picture by the seven headed dragon. Each of the dragon’s head represents one of the seven deadly sins.[9] Durer chose to capture this fight between good and evil at the moment when Saint Michael is thrusting his spear into one of the heads. Surrounding Saint Michael are three other angels ready to attack. Beneath the fighting lies a calm and serene landscape with mountains and a small town, highlighted by a church with a tall spire, in the distance. At the bottom in the center of the page Durer has placed his distinctive “AD” monogram that is in all of his engravings.
Albrecht Durer considered printmaking to be one of the most important art forms, possibly even equal to the art of painting.[10] His technical skill is demonstrated in St. Michael Fighting the Dragon. The influence of Durer's training under Wolgemut on the quality of Durer's works can be seen in the vast amount of detail in the print. Durer includes details ranging from the small trees surrounding the town to details of St. Michael’s face. Durer uses atmospheric perspective to create the illusion of space by depicting the mountains with less detail the farther away they are supposed to be. He creates different light and dark tones through his use of lines. In respect to the poses of the figures, especially Archangel Michael, Durer broke with the traditional pose for a hero fighting against evil that was more elegant and instead put St. Michael in a pose that captures the magnitude of the task at hand.[11] St. Michael’s eyebrows are furrowed with concentration and his hands are on the sword, about to fiercely attack the dragon. All original woodcuts in the series were made on pear wood.
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