St. George and the Dragon

St. George and the Dragon by Francesco Salviati (Italian, 1510–1563)

Medium

black chalk with red chalk, stumped

Dimensions

{"sheet":{"height":0.303,"width":0.432},"secondary support":{"height":0.433,"width":0.551}}

Classification

Drawing

Department

Drawings

Museum

Cleveland Museum of Art

Credit

John L. Severance Fund

Accession Number

1992.60

Tags

male

About this artwork

According to a legend based on Greek myth, as Saint George passed through Libya, he rescued a king’s daughter who had been left as a sacrifice to placate a vicious dragon. In gratitude for being delivered from the monster’s tyranny, the king’s subjects converted to Christianity. Here George wears armor in the ancient style based on Roman sculpture. Classical armor in Renaissance art was reserved for elite male subjects as a sign of their virtue. As a military saint, George’s attire conveys his a...

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