NATIONAL GALLERY, Saint George And The Dragon By Raphael
- Audio File length: 2.15
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Language: English / USA
In this painting, Raffaello Sanzio–commonly known as Raphael–portrays the legend that emerged in the Middle East during the Crusades, which recounts how St. George, a soldier of the Roman army martyred by Diocletian because he did not want to renounce his faith, slew a dragon to save the daughter of a Libyan king who was destined to be sacrificed.
The figure of the saint on horseback, with a serpent-shaped dragon at his feet, was imported from Europe thanks to the many representations in the Coptic churches and icons in Egypt. In fact, St. George is the patron saint of Cairo.
This is one of the two versions on the subject created by Raphael and it belongs to a series of miniatures that the Urbino artist–one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance –painted in Florence around 1505....