Saint Michael Overcoming Satan

The book of Revelations tells of a war in heaven, where the archangel Michael fought against Satan and his fallen angels until finally casting them down to earth. John Flaxman depicts Michael as a young, athletic figure holding a spear over the half-man, half-serpent Satan lying helplessly at the archangel's feet. A plaster version of this sculpture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1822, inspired by classical sculpture and similar treatments of the subject by Renaissance painters, such as Raphael's "St. Michael" (ca.1505).