Autocollant De Voiture St. Michael the Archangel (M 009)

Look closely! Clad in draped armor and shouldering a sword, St. Michael the Archangel is actually depicted by the engraver here holding a balance scale in his right hand. The scale is an allusion to St. Michael's role as weigher of souls at the Last Judgment. The scale, however, has been obscured by the colorist who painted his military cloak red. The result is an image that appears to look down from heaven with loving concern rather than judgment. It has been used as such throughout the St. Michael the Archangel COLLECTION (M 009). + Image Credit (M 009): Antique hand-colored devotional print of St. Michael the Archangel (N: 64) etched by F. Pischet, Linz, Austria, very early nineteenth century. From the designer's private collection of religious ephemera. + Feast: September 29