The angels, also called “Bodiless Powers,” are frequently found in icons as secondary figures, but some have their own types. Michael (Mikhail - Russian) is the great heavenly soldier, the chief captain of the hosts of Heaven who fights against the powers of evil. He is adorned with the accoutrements of a soldier, armor and shield. He may bear a trident, a lance, a staff, or as in this example, a sword. He is looked on as a special guardian of the sick and of soldiers. Iconographically, this example shows no signs whatsoever of the traditional Russian depiction of Michael. The influence is obviously Italian. The naïve quality suggests a provincial painter probably from the southwestern regions of Russia (Ukraine). This heavy Western influence seen in icons from along the Southwest borders of Russia is due to the geographical proximity to Western Europe, where access to Western imagery was easily available.
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