Saint Michael Attacking the Dragon and Weighing a Soul
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Saint Michael Attacking the Dragon and Weighing a Soul” now? Victoria and Albert Museum, Medieval & Renaissance, Room 10, London. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.
Closed· opens at 10:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
Images of patron saints stood at the north (left) side of the altar in a church. St Michael, a symbol of justice, divine power and protection against evil, was one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages.
Here he is shown feathered and trampling on a many-headed dragon with the Virgin standing behind him. In his left hand he is shown holding a pair of scales (the arms of which are now broken). On the right, a devil's head sits in the weighing pan, attempting to tip the balance, while to the left the Virgin lays her rosary on the arm of the scale to tilt them in favour of the soul which would have been held in the now-missing weighing pan on the left.
The size of this figure suggests its importance. It was probably intended as a single devotional image, set within a winged tabernacle.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- A.209-1946
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
