Saint Francis vision of Archangel St Michael

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This femenine figure in the painting is neither a female, nor a warrior, but a stylized and feminized depiction of Archangel Saint Michael —one of the principal archangels in Christian tradition. This artistic interpretation is typical of **Baroque and Colonial Latin American religious art**, where archangels were sometimes rendered with soft, elegant, and even androgynous or feminine features to symbolize spiritual beauty, grace, and divine power.

Key elements that identify the figure as Saint Michael

• Wings: Indicating the figure is an angel.
• Armor: Saint Michael is often shown in ornate or symbolic armor as a warrior of God.
• Spear or sword: Represents his battle against evil, often Satan.
• Cross-topped staff and palm branch: The cross is a symbol of Christ, and the palm is a sign of victory over evil or martyrdom.
• Cherubs or putti: Common in religious art to represent heavenly presence.

This style is especially characteristic of **17th-18th century Spanish Colonial art**, particularly from regions like **Mexico, Peru, or Bolivia**, where angels were sometimes portrayed in richly detailed, almost courtly attire.

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In Spanish Colonial art, especially in Latin America, angels were sometimes modeled after local noble children or courtly figures. This led to more elegant, feminized, or even androgynous portrayals.

Even when depicting male angels or archangels like Michael or Gabriel, artists would sometimes use feminized traits to enhance their ethereal, unearthly presence.

Angels in the Andean Baroque tradition, for instance, were often dressed in opulent robes and fashionable attire, merging European court aesthetics with religious iconography.

In monasteries or workshops where women couldn’t pose for art, young boys or men with delicate features were used as models for both male and female figures.

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This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.