10 EARLY CHRISTIAN ART. Chap. I. depicted scenes from the legend of the Archangel Michael most of which are greatly injured. In one of the lunettes the Saviour, enthroned amongst angels, orders S. Michael 1 to expel from his throne the rebel Lucifer and his angels. Beneath this the Archangel, poised on the dragon, is seen in the act of striking him, whilst on each side, angels and demons struggle for the mastery, — a fantastic medley of celestial warriors and evil spirits in the forms of serpents. Here we find the counterpart of the frescos in S. Maria degli Angeli at Arezzo, decorated with the same subjects by Spinello, but since obliterated with the exception of three heads transferred to canvass which are now in the hands of Mr. Layard, and were exhibited at Manchester. 2 Though in bad condition these frescos still have the spirit and character of the master. 3 The Annunciation, in a tabernacle outside the church of the Annunziata, rivals in religious feeling and grace, as well as in beauty of composition that of S. Francesco. The calm attitude of the Virgin is not less good than the action of the angel whose flying drapery shows that he has but just alighted. 4 Spinello’s bold ease of hand and lively colour, his broad arrangement of groups, his power in giving ready motion to figures, without any special accuracy of drawing, his firming the rules of the order of S. Francis. 1 On his left. 2 Vas. Yol. II. p. 197. Another of the sides of the bell room cut in two by the wall of a passage leading from the church to the sacristy contains remains of a fresco representing the vision of the Archangel to the Pope Gre gory on the mole of Adrian at Rome, which has since been called from this miracle the Castle of S. Angelo, and scenes from the life of S. Egidius. 3 Especially the vision. 4 The Virgin sits with a book, Gabriel on one knee with arms crossed on his breast. The spirit of the Holy Ghost and the form of the infant Saviour descend as if from the Eternal in the lunette above, now obliterated. A Virgin giving the breast to the infant Saviour (half figures) known as the Madonna del Latte and executed for the church of S. Stefano fuor d’Arezzo is now in S. Bernardo, where of old were other works by Spinello. (Vas. Vol. II. p. 190 and 193.) On the facade of the ex-hospital of Spi- rito Santo, he painted the descent of the Holy Spirit, three scenes from.the legend of S.S. Cosmo and Damian, a Noli me tangere of which the remains are now. all but obliterated.
