Apparition of Saint Michael at the Castle of Sant'Angelo

Jaume Huguet's Apparition of Saint Michael at Castel Sant'Angelo (c. 1455–60) belongs to the great altarpiece of the Tanners' Guild of Barcelona, one of the most celebrated works of Catalan Gothic painting. The Archangel Michael's appearance above Hadrian's tomb — transformed in legend into the event that named Castel Sant'Angelo — was associated with plague intercession, and Michael's role as psychopomp and plague protector made him a natural patron for a craft guild facing periodic epidemic. Huguet was the finest painter working in Barcelona after Martorell's death, and his gilded altarpieces set the standard for Catalan luxury religious art through the 1480s.

Huguet's signature technique involves elaborate raised and gilded relief in the haloes, armor, and architectural details — a level of goldsmith-like surface embellishment unmatched in Catalan painting. The angel's armor is rendered with individual punch marks and chased patterns, making the figure shimmer with reflected light. Below, the city of Rome is depicted with Huguet's characteristic miniaturistic precision, buildings compressed into a dense decorative frieze.