Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Archangel Raphael and the Miracle of the Sea Monster
(Ethiopia)
The archangel Raphael is depicted standing above a church built in his honor. The painting illustrates the dramatic highpoint in a story that explains Raphael's relationship to the church. According to legend, soon after the church's completion, the ground beneath the building began to shake, and it became evident that the structure was built on the back of a sea monster. Raphael speared the monster, saving the church and its congregation from destruction. Raphael's spear is shown descending down through the building; it is likely that the missing portion of the canvas featured the sea monster.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Paul Stewart, London [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sam Fogg, London, 1988 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2001, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 2006-2007 | Angels of Light: Ethiopian Art from the Walters Art Museum. Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton; Museum of Biblical Art, New York. |
Geographies
Ethiopia (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 72 1/16 x W: 18 7/8 in. (183 x 48 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds provided by an anonymous donor, 2001
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
36.13.2
