Luca Signorelli and Workshop
The Assumption of the Virgin with Saints Michael and Benedict
Late 1480s
Oil and gold on wood
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 29.164. Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1929
St. Benedict has the bald pate and clavicle-length forked white beard that is common in paintings of this era, and is further identified by the bundle of rods, one of his attributes.
Usually the saint's habit is black. According to the museum's description page this painting was made for a church of the Olivetan Order. Olivetans follow the Rule of St. Benedict but wear white habits.
St. Michael is pictured in a Renaissance adaptation of Roman military garb. His two attributes are the spear with which he vanquishes Satan and the scales he will use at the Last Judgment. In the scales are two naked souls: the rescued soul raises his hands in prayer while the damned one is starting to fall from the tray.
Read more about images of the Assumption.
Read more about images of St. Michael.
Read more about images of St. Benedict.
Photographed at the Metropolitan by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.