Saint George and the Dragon
Unknown Artist
late 1600s
Medium
painted and gilded wood
Dimensions
100.9 × 75.5 × 29 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin
Accession Number
1959.341
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Saint George, a Roman soldier martyred for his Christian faith, is best known for slaying a fearsome dragon that terrorized the city of Silene, in Libya. George offered to kill the monster if residents of the city convert to Christianity. Here, George stands triumphantly over the dragon, writhing as it dies. The artist deliberately incorporated features intended to make his figure seem more familiar: the dragon seems more canine than reptilian, while George wears armor from the recent past and b...