St. Michael fighting the dragon, cutting from an illuminated manuscript, in Latin, on vellum [probably Italy, last quarter of the thirteenth century]

a cutting, 128mm. by 117mm., large historiated initial ‘F’ in blue on a light pink ground with scrolling acanthus in pink, orange and pale green, enclosing St. Michael dressed in blue with a pink cloak, accentuated by an orange nimbus encircled in black with small white dots, his spear thrusting into the throat of a winged dragon with a twisting tail, all on a blue background decorated with small white dotted circles, small guide letter ‘F’ in brown ink in the margin, remains of a single line of text above initial, apparently “…[in adiutori]um populo Dei”, the antiphon for Michaelmas, 29 September, the back with two lines of text in brown ink with music on a 4-line red stave, rastrum: 27-28mm., initial with pigment losses and small folds, framed

As he slays the dragon, St. Michael exhibits the cool passivity that characterizes much of later thirteenth-century French art, but the palette is uncharacteristically light and the wolf-like head of the dragon and the pattern of orange scales on its back are unusual for France. The script appears Italian, as is the square notation and red bars that mark the measures, and most probably the initial was painted by a northern French artist working in Italy. The scene is a striking composition, as the dragon flicks its long tongue at the saint in defiance at the moment of its death.