St. George Slaying the Dragon
1504
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1504
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This black-and-white print shows a knight in armor fighting a giant dragon wrapped around a tree. The knight’s sword is raised, while the dragon coils around a woman crouching nearby. Trees, rocks, and small figures fill the background, all drawn with sharp, busy lines. The woman in the tree looks like she’s waiting for help—a common detail in dragon stories. The print’s messy, crowded style was typical for telling dramatic tales in the 1500s. Next, check out Renaissance art to see how stories like this were told differently.
