The Holy Trinity with Saint Michael Conquering the Dragon 1666

Pietro da Cortona rendered this drawing, "The Holy Trinity with Saint Michael Conquering the Dragon", with pen and brown ink. Here, Saint Michael triumphs over a multi-headed dragon, a symbol of chaos and evil, in a scene brimming with Christian iconography. Note the Holy Trinity above: God the Father, Christ, and the dove representing the Holy Spirit. This recalls ancient myths of heroic figures battling serpentine monsters, a theme stretching from Babylonian Tiamat to the Greek Hydra. Michael's victory is more than a physical conquest; it is the triumph of divine order over primordial chaos. The dragon, bound in chains, echoes humanity's subconscious fears. It's a powerful image, tapping into our collective memory, reminding us that the battle between order and chaos is a constant, cyclical struggle. It’s a struggle re-enacted across millennia in various forms.