Saint Michael Defeating Satan 

Editor: Here we have Luca Giordano’s, *Saint Michael Defeating Satan*. Painted in oil, it feels like a flurry of movement. The angel is radiant but stern, while the figures below seem trapped in a swirling chaos. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Ah, Giordano. What a whirlwind of brushstrokes! You’re right, it’s pure Baroque drama. What I see is more than just a good versus evil trope; it’s the internal battle. That light, our potential, always hovering, right? How often do *we* succumb to that earthy scramble happening below? The faces contorted in torment; is it him *doing* the defeating, or showing us *how* it’s done? And, tell me, does the impasto give it some *real* heft for you? Editor: I see what you mean. The figures at the bottom are incredibly physical, and that application of paint definitely enhances it! Almost makes them appear even more weighty and grounded... What do you make of Saint Michael’s almost...gentle expression though? Curator: Gentle, yes, and isn’t that something? A kind of detached knowing, perhaps? Or, maybe he isn’t enjoying his job, even he might recognise a part of himself within those chaotic figures. Victory tinged with a recognition, or is that projection? It might be! What did you make of his stance? Editor: That is a wonderful interpretation. For me his stance reflects confidence. It’s interesting to consider a personal inner battle with his story too. It goes from the literal to the self. Curator: Exactly, and doesn't that just underline the potency of myth! Seeing it move and morph as our lens changes; maybe that *is* the work. Thanks, I'll carry *that* away with me, a reminder for all those future encounters with devils.