The painting San Michele Arcangelo sconfigge Satana by Guido Reni, created around 1635, is an extraordinary Baroque masterpiece. It depicts the Archangel Michael triumphing over Satan, a dramatic representation of the eternal struggle between good and evil. The oil painting on silk can be admired in the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini in Rome. Reni’s depiction of the Archangel Michael is both otherworldly and commanding, with a dynamic diagonal composition that captures movement and heightens the intensity. The Archangel’s raised sword and the scales of justice symbolize divine judgment, while his delicate facial features and flowing garments reveal Reni’s pursuit of idealized beauty.

In my reimagining of this allegorical work, I envision Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, in the role of the Archangel Michael, clad in his historical attire from the Battle of Waterloo. Keeping the iconic bicorne hat—an inseparable part of Wellesley’s image—was intentional, underscoring his unique identity. Napoleon takes on the form of a hybrid, half-devil and half-lion, reflecting the complex duality of his legacy: feared and condemned by many, yet admired and romanticized by others. The lion, a symbolic reference to Britain, is juxtaposed against the Welsh Corgi, representing Wellesley and evoking loyalty and honor, traits tied to the monarchy and the Duke’s character. Below them lies the British flag, with Napoleon’s bicorne hat resting beneath it, an emblematic reminder of his ultimate defeat.