Archangel Michael
Archangel Michael
Archangel Michael
Archangel Michael

Archangel Michael

Author: N / A

Created: early 20th century.

Material / technique: wood carving,  polychrome.

Dimensions: high - 71 cm.

An angel is a symbolic messenger and representative of God the Father on Earth. Angels are God-created powerful non-corporeal spiritual beings. Angels are depicted as youngsters with hands stretched out for blessing or as children or sometimes as heads of infants with wings. According to the Bible, every Christian has a guardian angel who inspires them to do good deeds and protects from evil. Angels are considered to be mediators between God and people, the only servants of God who fulfil God’s will and participate in the lives of men. All angels belong to different ranks. The angels of the highest hierarchy intended to reveal Lord’s will were the archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. 

Archangel Michael is the most powerful archangel in charge of all Christians and the Church. He is usually portrayed as the commander of the Lord’s army of angels and wears the clothes of a warrior or the armour of a knight and sometimes a warrior’s helmet. He is depicted alone or together with the evil spirit. Michael the warrior fights against the evil spirit and defeats it – the devil lying under his feet or a sword in his hand attest to such victory. Michael, as the angel of the Last Judgment, holds the scales or a trumpet in his hands.

Reference: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, Kat. No, P. 40.

Exhibition: Exhibition of the collection of Lithuanian art of dr. Jaunius Gumbis "Collected and Preserved", September 2016 - January 2017, National Museum of Lithuania, Vilnius.

Published: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, Kat. No, P. 45.

Photographs: from the shrine in the churchyard, photograph by Juozas Petrulis, 1956; display in the exhibition "Collected and Preserved", September 2016 - January 2017, National Museum of Lithuania, Vilnius.