Blue pigments
Artists' Materials
Azurite was used in the majority of blue areas on every folio analysed, although the presence or absence of trace amounts of barium, zinc and arsenic suggest the use of different sources or batches of the same pigment. High amounts of barium impurities, in particular, characterise the images attributed to the Painter of Additional 15677. Ultramarine and smalt were identified on one folio each (fols. 15r and 14r respectively). Indigo was also detected in a minority of areas on several folios.
St Michael defeating demons (suffrage to St Michael)
This miniature is the eponymous work of the Master of St Michael. The sway and twist of the Archangel’s figure and the spread of his wings convey the overwhelming power of the heavenly warrior. The finely articulated detail and the hard, clean, metallic shimmer of the armour, obtained by mixing indigo with azurite, contrast starkly with the amorphous mass of the demons at St Michael’s feet. The ominous sky above and the cross-staff tilted at an oblique angle create a sense of depth, enhanced by the objects in the architectural border. The vase and timepiece suggest a domestic interior, while a sword and shield lean against a niche, accompanied by a cross-staff and rosaries, all within easy reach should the viewer need them in his own spiritual battles.
The Master of St Michael is the only one amongst the four main artists who painted flesh tones using mainly lead white, with little or no chalk. His palette makes extensive use of indigo in addition to azurite, which he also mixed with lead-tin yellow to paint grass. He used a red dye for the wings of both St Michael and the demon, as well as vermilion, lead-tin yellow, an arsenic sulphide and a range of earth pigments including umber.