Pieter Bruegel the Elder: The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1562)

(Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium)

A painting by the Flemish-Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525-1569). This painting shows the War in Heaven as described in the Bible:

7. Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 
8. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 
9. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

(Book of Revelation 12: 7-9)

Corrupted by pride, Lucifer (called 'the dragon' in the bible) and his companions rose up against God but the archangel Saint Michael (shown here in golden armour) and other angels fought back and defeated the rebellious angels. The defeated angels were cast out of Heaven and thrown down to the earth were they became demons. Bruegel shows the rebels angels here as grotesque figures which are inspired by Jheronimus Bosch. Painting from 1562.