⭐ 12: A Sculpture of Saint Michael the Archangel
St. Michael, archangel, late 17th century, unknown woodcarver, wood, painted and gilded
The name Michael, which means ‘Who is like God?’, is first mentioned by the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament, where Michael is described as ‘the great prince’. In a symbolic vision in the Book of Revelation, he is presented as the leader of the heavenly host; with the angels by his side, he celebrates a glorious victory in the fight against Satan. This is why he is revered by the Church and considered a mighty protector against the forces of evil.
St. Michael is one of the older saints. He is the archangel who protects against enemies and evil; he is also the guardian of souls and helps bring them to heaven. Over different historical periods, he became the patron saint of the dying, knights, officers, soldiers, pharmacists, glassworkers, tailors, bakers, wood turners, surveyors, fishermen, ferrymen, automobile manufacturers, bank employees, radio mechanics, protector against lightning and stormy weather, the patron saint of house painters, merchants, zinc and lead founders, ossuaries and chapels of rest.
The polychromatic statue from the 17th century is a wooden sculpture used for the worship of Saint Michael the Archangel, whose feast day is on 29 September.
The wooden sculpture from the late 17th century was created by an unknown artist. It was originally part of Gutmannstahl's Collection from Hotemež near Radeče and is now kept at the Posavje Museum Brežice. The sculpture, which is 68 cm in height, depicts Saint Michael the Archangel as a winged heavenly commander equipped with a helmet, an armour and a spear. The lower part of his garment is a long and wavy drapery; he has gold sandals on his feet. The leader of the heavenly host in depicted standing in a victorious position, turned slightly to the left, looking down on the defeated dragon, which is a symbol of evil (Satan).
Dated: late 17th century
Material: wood, gilded, silvered and painted
Dimensions: height: 68 cm
Provenance: Gutmannsthal's Collection, Hotemež near Radeče
Inv. No.: KZ 1/40
On view: interdisciplinary exhibitiona Four elements: 4 – AIR, 1st floor of Brežice Castle, on view until 2020, curated by: Alenka Černelič Krošelj, Stanka Glogovič, Boštjan Kolar, Oži Lorber, Maja Marinčič, Timotej Pavlin, Jana Puhar
For heritage enthusiasts:
The worship of St. Michael often replaced the worship of various pagan deities. For instance, in Asia Minor it replaced the worship of the gods of thermal springs. Near Constantinople, St. Michael replaced Aesculapius, the god of medicine, and in Gaul the Roman god Mercury. Due to the association with pagan deities, the Church did everything in its power to make sure no pagan polytheistic elements would be included in worship. St. Michael is described as an archangel entrusted by God with some special tasks, such as weighing the souls of the departed, giving them the chance to redeem themselves. The weighing of souls, previously known in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Persia, was thus Christianised.
The worship of St. Michael is also associated with his apparitions. It is believed that he first appeared in the 5th century on Monte Gargano at a cave in the Gargano mountains near Siponto and said, “This cave is sacred to me, I have chosen it; I myself am its watchful custodian.” The second time he appeared to a bishop and promised him his assistance. On the night of 29 September, St. Michael appeared for the third time, announcing that he had consecrated the cave, making it a basilica. The feast day of St. Michael, 29 September, was celebrated as early as the 9th century in Germany. It was associated with the end of school, fairs, harvest traditions, youth processions, change of servantship etc.
St. Michael's churches are some of the oldest churches. They were usually built at elevated locations at the sites of ruinous pagan shrines. In Slovenia, churches dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel rank sixth in terms of how common they are. Most of them were built following major natural disasters, such as fires, wars, diseases, earthquakes etc. In the Posavje region, churches dedicated to St. Michael are in Pišece, Krško (Stara vas), Kompolje and Pilštanj.
People have always fought against evil and bad things, and will continue to do so. For this reason, St. Michael has maintained his power and influence on people over time.
The view from a conservation and restoration workshop:
The polychromatic wooden sculpture was conserved by the staff of the conservation and restoration workshop in 2020, before it was exhibited in the Posavje Museum Brežice's temporary multidisciplinary exhibition The Four elements: 4 – Air. The sculpture was covered with a thick layer of dust and other impurities, and the archangel’s left wing had sagged. The biggest damage to the sculpture had been caused by the contraction of the base, as a result of which the paint layer started coming off and broke off in places. In the conservation and restoration workshop, a reinforcement procedure was used to prevent more of the paint layer from coming off and the particles that had broken off were fixed back in place. After the impurities were removed and the left wing was reattached, new details were revealed, indicating that the sculpture had been painted in the past, at least partially. Additional scientific analyses and research would be needed to identify the period in which the sculpture was painted and to determine the extent of it, which would also give an insight into the archangel's original appearance.
For more information see:
- Černelič Krošelj Alenka: Štirje elementi: 4 –ZRAK / Four elements: 4 – AIR, Brežice: Posavski muzej Brežice, 2020.
- Badurina Anđelko (ur): Leksikon ikonografije, liturgike i simbolike zapadnog kršćanstva, Zagreb: Liber: Kršćanska sadašnjost: Institut za povijest umjetnosti, 5. izdaja, 1979, str. 401-403.
- Bitschnau P. Otto: Das Leben der Heiligen Gottes, Einsiedeln; Waldshut; Köln: Benziger & Co., 1898, str. 722.
- Schauber Vera, Schindler Michael: Svetniki in godovni zavetniki, Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 1995, str. 505.
- Stegenšek Avguštin: Dekanija Gornjegrajska: Cerkveni spomeniki Lavantinske škofije, Maribor: Založil pisatelj, 1905, str. 214.
- Miklavčič Maks, Jože Dolenc: Leto svetnikov: Tretji del (julij – september), Ljubljana: Zadruga kataloških duhovnikov: »Jože Moškrič«, 1972, str. 669–676.
Prepared by: Nives Slemenšek
BACK
