St. Michael Vanquishing Satan is a painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Raphael. The image consists of the archangel Michael standing on top of Satan's back with his right foot. Both works have been located in the Louvre in Paris since 1667. The painting was commissioned by Pope Leo X. This painting has symbolic meaning within the Christian religion as it symbolizes God triumphing over evil. Raphael had a gift for creating images that evoked divinity in a subtle way and was known being skillful at creating space within his compositions as well as movement captured at a stand still. Techniques that were used by Raphael were adopted at the Academie royale de peinture et de sculpture by Charles Le Brun as the foundation of French classicism. Raphael as an artist was known to stand his ground even against popes and cardinals. Having a father who was also an artist, he had the upper hand with navigating the art field. History Raphael first visited the subject of the archangel Michael at the behest of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. The miniature was completed in 1504 or 1505 on the back of a draughtboard. The commission is believed to express appreciation to Louis XII of France for conferring the Order of Saint Michael on Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Urbino's nephew and heir. A little more than a decade after completing the little St. Michael, Raphael was commissioned to revisit the theme producing St. Michael Vanquishing Satan for Pope Leo X. Other sources state that the painting was originally a gift to Francois I. By 1667, the painting was placed in the Louvre by King Louis XIV. Questions have arisen in the past about whether the painting was actually done by Raphael or if his apprentice, Giulio Romano created this piece. It was atypical for Raphael to use color in such a manner. Combing orange, yellow, and gold to create a metallic finish was not typically found in his paintings. Black ink was also incorporated to darken the image while adding the effect of smoke. This painting can be tied to a collected group of elite people in France known as the Order of Saint Michael. It was used as an iconic image to represent power within the French government. Style The image is of the Archangel Michael when he's younger in age amidst a rocky scenery. Michael stands