Much has been written about the pictorial traditions of St. Michael. This Appendix is meant to present the reader with a glimpse of these rich and manifold traditions of representation. There are two principal thematic types of representations of the archangel associated with scriptural passages mentioning St. Michael. The references to the archangel in the Book of Daniel (10:13, 21 and 12:1) depict him as a “great prince” of the Hebrews. These references gave rise to a pictorial tradition, principally early Christian and Byzantine, in which St. Michael is depicted as a singular, princely individual. In this tradition, he is nimbed and dressed in a long, flowing tunic or occasionally the royal mantle of the Byzantine imperial court. He holds, most often in his right hand, a staff, scepter, or occasionally a sword, and in his left hand a globe topped by a cross. Less frequently, he is represented in the company of his fellow archangel Gabriel and/or other unidentified angels.

The other iconographic tradition derives from the Epistle of Jude 9 and the Book of Revelation 12:7–9. This tradition, found exclusively in the west, depicts St. Michael in his militant role fighting the devil and represents in a general sense the triumph of good over evil. These scenes depict the archangel atop the devil, who is represented variously as a human or a dragon, and thrusting a sword or spear into his mouth.