St. George

Art Historical Context

This engraving of St. George, created between1470 and 1503, the legendary saint in a dynamic moment of combat, complete with his horse, spear, and implied presence of a dragon rescued figures. Attributed tohel van Meckenem working in the circle of Martin Schongauer, the reflects the vibrant tradition of late fifteenth-century German graphic art. Schongauer was among the first artists to elevate engraving to a sophisticated medium, and Meckenem, a prolific engraver and goldsmith, helped spread these innovations across Northern Europe. The medium itself is central to the work’s significance. Engravings like this one allowed detailed images to be reproduced in multiple impressions, making devotional and narrative subjects accessible beyond the walls of churches or noble collections. The small plate size suggests it may have been intended for personal devotion or as a model for other craftsmen, aligning with the period’s growing interest in portable religious imagery. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this sheet exemplifies how early printmakers blended technical precision with storytelling, preserving the popularity of St. George as a symbol of courage and faith for generations of viewers.

About the Artist

Israhel van Meckenem|Martin Schongauer · 1435–1503

Israhel van Meckenem (c. 1445–1503), also known as Israhel van Meckenem the Younger, was a pioneering German engraver and goldsmith based in Bocholt, near the Dutch border, renowned as the most prolific printmaker of the fifteenth century. Born into a family possibly of Dutch origin, he was the son of Israhel van Meckenem the Elder, a goldsmith who settled in Bocholt in 1457. He trained initially ...