St. Michael the Archangel (detail; M 017) Postcard

In this painting Three Archangels and Tobias by Francesco Botticini (1446-1498), a minor master of the Early Italian Renaissance, St. Michael heads up the column of travelers clad in contemporary 15th-century plate armour. Sword arm outstretched, he holds his weapon at the ready, ready to handle any danger on the road. St. Michael has auburn hair, a white openwork halo, red shoes, a short red cape with a green lining, and dark wings. In his free hand, he holds an orb, a symbol of authority, or a weight, a reference to his role in the weighing of souls at the Last Judgment. + Feast: September 29 + Image Credit (M 017): Detail of Three Archangels and Tobias, by Francesco Botticini (1446-1498), tempera on panel, 60 5/8” x 53 1/8” (154cm x 135cm), Florentine Italian, ca. 1470, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}. From an antique Stengel postcard in the designer’s private collection.