Altar of the Archangel Michael, c.1510 Gerard David (c.1455-1523)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Gerard David also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery.

TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations.

We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons:
Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
Also, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.
Additionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself.

You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.

Once the painting Altar of the Archangel Michael is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

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The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.

Gerard David’s "Altar of the Archangel Michael" (c. 1510) is a strikingly composed scene that centers on the Archangel Michael as he triumphantly subdues the forces of evil. The painting is rich with symbolic elements, rendered in sharp, vibrant colors that lend both drama and a certain luminosity to the composition. Michael, the divine warrior, is draped in flowing robes of crimson and green, which contrast beautifully with his pale, almost serene face, framed by curly hair and haloed by his glowing wings. The careful detailing of the gold embellishments on his armor and cloak emphasize his role as a celestial being, while his steady, calm expression adds a sense of divine purpose.

The cross that Michael wields as a weapon glints with gold, a stark reminder of the triumph of Christianity over the demonic forces writhing at his feet. The devils themselves are rendered in an unsettlingly grotesque fashion - their bestial forms distorted with multiple heads and gaping mouths, struggling under the angel’s authority. David’s meticulous attention to the textures of fur, scales, and human flesh heightens the tension between the celestial and the infernal. The rock-strewn landscape on which this struggle unfolds is arid and jagged, further reinforcing the theme of desolation that evil brings.

Above Michael, we see a contrasting celestial vision: God the Father, enthroned in the heavens, is surrounded by an angelic host. The palette here shifts to softer tones of light blues and whites, creating an ethereal glow that lifts the viewer’s eye from the chaos below to the serenity above. The clouds are weightless, the angels delicate, each brushstroke imbued with David’s finesse in capturing divine light.

David’s mastery is evident in the way he balances the painting’s tumultuous foreground with the serenity of its upper portion, creating a harmonious yet dynamic composition. His use of color is as much symbolic as it is aesthetic - the reds of Michael’s robe signaling divine justice, while the muted tones of the background and demons suggest the darkness of the fallen world. It is a painting that does not shy away from the violent struggle at its heart but ultimately uplifts with its promise of divine victory.