Triumph of Saint George (Saint George Kills the Dragon at Selene)

Triumph of Saint George by Vittore Carpaccio depicts the legendary tale of Saint George and the Dragon. A dragon was terrorizing the city Selene and it was taking children as sacrifices. One day the King's daughter was chosen and had to be given to the dragon. St. George was traveling by and ended up piercing the dragon in the head with a spear. He then took the dragon back to the town and beheaded the dragon in front of many inhabitants of Selene.[1]

The painting Triumph of Saint George by Vittore Carpaccio is the fifth of seven paintings in a collection known as Episodes from the Life of Sts Jerome, George and Triphun that depict three stories of Christian saints. This specific painting depicts a scene right before St.George beheads the dragon, his sword is raised in the air ready to come down on the beast's neck. City-folk surround the two main characters: some on horses, some on foot, some playing instruments, and all watching in gratitude. The warm vibrant colors and faces of the people radiate the joy of the image. The dragon lies in the focal point of the painting with St.George at his side. The dragon seems much smaller in this painting than in Carpaccio's depiction of the slaying.[2] He is being dragged by his tongue and is pierced in the head by St.George's lance, awaiting his demise. The city lies in the background as a backdrop for the main event. One thing to note in the painting is the absence of children in the painting since they were used as sacrifices. [3]

[1] Morabito, Pasquale Maria. "Saint George and the Dragon: Cult, Culture, and Foundation of the City." Contagion: Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture 18 (2011): 135-153. 
[2] Cohen, Simona. 2008. Animals as Disguised Symbols in Renaissance Art. Boston: BRILL. 
[3] Brooke, Caroline. "Vittore Carpaccio's Method of Composition in His Drawings for the Scuola Di S. Giorgio Teleri." Master Drawings 42, no. 4 (2004): 303-14.

Vittore Carpaccio

Brooke, Caroline. "Vittore Carpaccio's Method of Composition in His Drawings for the Scuola Di S. Giorgio Teleri." Master Drawings 42, no. 4 (2004): 303-14. Accessed September 8, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1554668.

Morabito, Pasquale Maria. "Saint George and the Dragon: Cult, Culture, and Foundation of the City." Contagion: Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture 18 (2011): 135-153. doi:10.1353/ctn.2011.0007.

Cohen, Simona. 2008. Animals as Disguised Symbols in Renaissance Art. Boston: BRILL. Accessed September 8, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Vittore Carpaccio. c. 1504-07. Triumph of Saint George (Saint George Kills the Dragon at Selene). painting.https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_1039488937.

Image and original data provided by SCALA, Florence/ART RESOURCE, N.Y.

1504-07

Darien Sansosti

(c) 2006, SCALA, Florence/ART RESOURCE, N.Y.

141 x 360 cm

Oil painting on canvas

Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni (Venice, Italy)