Saint George Slaying The Dragon, Loire Valley, Circa 1520-1530

Saint George Slaying the Dragon

Round-boss sculpture, France, Loire Valley, circa 1520–1530

This remarkable full-round sculpture depicts Saint George of Lydda, a Christian martyr born in 280 in Mazaca, Cappadocia, shown as a heroic knight slaying the dragon. According to Jacobus de Voragine’s Golden Legend, he symbolizes the triumph of the Christian faith over the devil, or more broadly, the victory of good over evil. Canonized in 494, he is the patron saint of Christian chivalry, of the Kingdom of Great Britain since the year 800, of Georgia, and of armourers.

The saint is shown in dynamic motion, mounted on a rearing horse that leaps over the dragon, here rendered in a relatively unthreatening manner. He wears detailed armor topped with a belted tunic, and his head is protected by a helmet with a chin guard. The sculptor left the reverse only sketched out, indicating that the piece was intended primarily to be viewed from the front.

The sculpture shows a few losses and areas of wear consistent with its age, yet it retains a very high sculptural quality and remarkable expressiveness in the modelling of the volumes and drapery.