<note><![CDATA[© RMN, Paris. Courtesy of Musée du Louvre, Paris]]></note>
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<title><![CDATA[St Michael and<br>the Dragon]]></title>
<title2><![CDATA[<br>1503-4 (detail)]]></title2>
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<body><![CDATA[In spite of the vanquished dragon and red cross on the avengerΓÇÖs shield, this picture is not about St George, who never sported wings, but the archangel Michael, who also killed dragons. The setting is hell, as imagined by Dante in the Divine Comedy, which Raphael must have read. He must also have seen pictures by his contemporary Hieronymus Bosch: the horrible, slithering monsters and the tiny figures in front of the burning city in the background recall some of those created by the Dutch artist. To the figureΓÇÖs right are the hypocrites in leaden coats, while on the far right of the picture, also as described by Dante, are thieves tormented by serpents. The saintΓÇÖs face and the pose have more in common with characteristic Raphaelesque figures than the rest of the picture. At this time Raphael was learning from LeonardoΓÇÖs example and, to a lesser extent, from Flemish art, examples of which could be seen in Perugia. It was there that Raphael was based, though also working in Florence from time to time.]]></body>
