Image Details

Walters Art Gallery, MS. W. 281, FOL. 230

“St. Michael Battling Devils.” An elegantly robed St. Michael the Archangel serenely battles a mischievous collection of little demons. This miniature, just one of many from an especially luxurious Book of Hours, was painted by the anonymous artist dubbed “Master of Walters 281.” This book is his masterpiece. Working in northern France or Flanders in the 1430s, this illuminator produced paintings characterized by an exuberant, at times fussy, attention to detail. But his compositions always contain stately, monumental figures. (Northern France or Belgium [Tournai], c. 1430–35.)