Archangel Michael's Battle with the Devil, 21 October 1858
Black pen on pencil, grey wash
Sheet dimensions55 × 38,3 cm
About the workThe autodidact Theodor Mintrop was discovered by the painter Eduard Geselschap and only began his studies at the Düsseldorf Art Academy at the age of 30. Before that he had worked for the family's farmstead. Here the unclothed archangel Michael forces the devil down with his knee and strikes a blow with his flaming sword. The depiction largely corresponds to the Baroque tradition of the seventeenth century, but offers us an unusual perspective: both Michael and the devil are depicted from the back in a triangular composition.
AccessionCollection of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Provenance[…]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Inventory numberKA (FP) 14248
