Artwork
Saint George
Saint George is a tempera painting. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Saint George is portrayed in the painting as a mounted knight locked in combat with a dragon, the central narrative identified as Saint George and the Dragon.
Saint George is portrayed in the painting as a mounted knight locked in combat with a dragon, the central narrative identified as Saint George and the Dragon. The work, dated to 1600 and executed in tempera on panel, measures 69.2 cm by 50.2 cm and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition emphasizes the saint's raised lance and the slain dragon, motifs that traditionally signify the triumph of good over evil in Christian art.
Technique & Style
The work titled Saint George, created in 1600, is executed in tempera on a wooden panel, measuring approximately 69.2 cm in height and 50.2 cm in width. It belongs to the religious genre and portrays the saint in the act of slaying a dragon, a common motif in Russian Orthodox art of the period. The painting was produced by an anonymous Russian master and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its formal qualities reflect the balanced composition and restrained color palette typical of early-17th-century Russian religious painting.
History & Provenance
Saint George is a 1600 tempera painting on panel attributed to an anonymous Russian artist. The work portrays the saint in the act of slaying the dragon and measures 69.2 × 50.2 cm. It is classified as a religious painting and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. No documentary evidence of a commission survives, and the precise circumstances of its creation remain unidentified.
The dating of 1600 is derived from cataloguing records, while the medium and dimensions are recorded in the museum's catalogue. Specific inventory details or a recorded accession number are not provided in the available sources, and the records do not contain information regarding any exhibition history for this piece.
Overview
This tempera painting depicts Saint George on horseback, engaged in combat with a dragon. The composition features a central armored figure with a spear, confronting the coiled beast against a backdrop of rocky terrain and a pale sky. Its vibrant yet aged colors and distinctive portrayal of the legendary encounter characterize the work, presenting a classic narrative in a stylized manner.
Context
The subject of Saint George slaying the dragon has been a recurring motif in art across various periods and cultures. This particular rendition contributes to a long tradition of visualizing the saint's triumph over evil, a narrative that has resonated widely due to its themes of heroism, faith, and divine intervention, making it a perennially popular subject.
Artist & collection
Saint George and the Dragon
Saint George and the Dragon
Sfântul Dimitrie
Sf. Gheorghe, ucigând balaurul
Sfântul Gheorghe
Saint Demetrius
Sfântul Mare Mucenic Dimitrie
Arkkienkeli Mikael, venäläinen ikoni
Icoana este pictată pe un suport de lemn de formă dreptunghiulară, în ax orizontal. Tema iconografică este "Sfântul Gheorghe omorînd balaurul". În prim plan, Sf. Gheorghe, înveșmântat ostășește(tipic epocii medievale, cămașă de zale, tunică până la genunghi, cizme înalte, mantie), călare pe un cal alb, ridicat în două picioare, omoară balaurul cu o suliță. Aureolă aurită, cu raze fine pe margine. În mâna cu sulița ține și o cruce. Balaurul(reprezentînd răul în forma lui cea mai joasă) cu coada în săgeată este încolăcit sub picioarele calului, . În partea dreaptă, fecioara pe care o scapă sfântul de la moarte, în veșmânt împărătesc și coroană pe cap, privește scena cu bucurie, cu brațele ridicate. În spatele ei, peste o colină, este reprezentată schematic cetatea, printr-un zid alb crenelat. Deasupra lor, dintr-un nor luminos, mâna dreaptă a lui Dumnezeu, binecuvântând. Compoziția este dinamică, chipurile expresive, gesturile bine realizate. Cromatica este bine echilibrată, zugravul folosește contrastele pentru a da profunzime scenei. Cerul albastru de Prusia, ușor luminat pe linia orizontului.Cromatica este specifică pentru mai multe icoane aparținînd bisericii Răpciuni cam din aceeași perioadă. Rama este realizată din patru stinghii subțiri profilate, îmbinate oblic. Icoana cu ramă este montată într-un panou pictată în roșu stins, care făcea parte din friza de jos a iconostasului.
Sf. Mucenic Gheorghe, ucigând balaurul
Saints George and Demetrius of Thessalonica- Saint George