Adventures in Art History Art Adventures    

Lesson 4: St. Michael

by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael)

Directions

Study the painting for one week.

Over the week:

• Look at the painting.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the artist.
• Practice reciting the names of the artist and the painting.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

In 'St. Michael,' Raphael visualizes a battle between Archangel St. Michael, commander of God's army, and the monsters in hell. Wielding a sword and shield, Michael steps on the neck of a monster and raises his sword to deliver a killing blow. His fight is far from over. Many more monsters lurk nearby. A dark palace and swirling clouds loom in the background.

Vocabulary

St. Michael: An angel in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths who commands God's army.
Battle: A long fight between large groups.
Hell: A place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire beneath the earth where the wicked are punished after death.
Archangel: An angel of high rank.
Shield: A broad piece of metal used as protection against blows.

Concepts

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, commonly known as Raphael, painted 'St. Michael.'

1. Raphael was born in 1483 in Urbino, Marche, Italy. See his picture below.

2. Find Raphael's country of birth on the map of Europe below.

3. Raphael did not have an easy life. By the time he was eleven, both of his parents had died.
4. Raphael demonstrated a talent for art from an early age. He became a famous painter and eventually worked for two Popes. Some of his paintings can be found in the Vatican Palace today. The Vatican Palace is where the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church, lives.
5. Raphael is considered one of the great master artists during the High Renaissance (1490s - 1527), along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
6. Raphael died in 1520 in Rome, Italy, at the age of 37.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

During the week, study the painting and find the following:

• Angel
• Monsters
• Feathers
• Tongues
• Tails
• Horns
• Castle
• Turrets
• Halo
• Wings
• Sword
• Shield

Activity 2: Narrate the Painting

• After studying the painting, narrate the scene shown in the painting aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Complete Vocabulary Activities

• While studying the vocabulary words, point them out in the painting.
• Define each of the vocabulary words in your own words.

Activity 4: Act Out the Painting - Play Monster Hide and Seek

• One person hides several stuffed 'monster' animals around the house.
• Others find all of the monsters to defeat them.

Activity 5: Color the Painting   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 8 of 'Kindergarten Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the painting?

1 / 6

Answer 1

St. Michael and the monsters.

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the setting of the painting?

2 / 6

Answer 2

Outside a castle in hell.

2 / 6

Question 3

What is St. Michael holding?

3 / 6

Answer 3

A sword and a shield.

3 / 6

Question 4

What do the monsters look like?

4 / 6

Answer 4

Some have wings, others have long tails, some have feathers, some have dog heads, and some have horns.

4 / 6

Question 5

What visual clues do we have that St. Michael is an angel?

5 / 6

Answer 5

He has wings and a halo.

5 / 6

Question 6

What is St. Michael doing in the painting?

6 / 6

Answer 6

He pulls back his sword to strike the monster he's pinned down with his foot.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the painting? St. Michael and the monsters.
2. What is the setting of the painting? Outside a castle in hell.
3. What is St. Michael holding? A sword and a shield.
4. What do the monsters look like? Some have wings, others have long tails, some have feathers, some have dog heads, and some have horns.
5. What visual clues do we have that St. Michael is an angel? He has wings and a halo.
6. What is St. Michael doing in the painting? He pulls back his sword to strike the monster he's pinned down with his foot.

References

'Raphael.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.