St. George and the Dragon
Dublin Core
Title
St. George and the Dragon
Description
The painting shows the first of the three episodes dedicated to St. George's life: the other two are the Triumph of St. George and the Baptism of the Selenites. The works date to Carpaccio's mature period when he was commissioned by the "Scuola" (guild or corporation) of the Schiavoni (Dalmatians) to execute a cycle of nine paintings narrating the stories of their patron saints (George, Jerome, Augustine, and Tryphon).
Vittore Carpaccio was one of Venice's leading narrative painters of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, whose richly detailed canvases relating the lives of saints once adorned the city's "scuole," or lay confraternities' meeting places.
The story of George is directly inspired by the medieval hagiographical texts of the martyrs, especially by the Passions. The epic of the Holy Martyr on horseback in the act of defeating the dragon and saving the maiden, with the fortified town standing in the background, has been a recurring iconographic theme since ancient times. St. George is portrayed while riding a horse above a wide background, his lance piercing the dragon's head. On the right is a praying princess. A diagonal line connects the princess head, passing through the lance, to the twisted tail of the dragon. The canvases of St. George and St. Tryphon are elongated as if to emphasize the character of the epic story.
St. George and the Dragon comes from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore while providing a vigorous image of the knight killing the monster, is also dense with references specific to the Benedictine monastery for which it was made.
Vittore Carpaccio was one of Venice's leading narrative painters of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, whose richly detailed canvases relating the lives of saints once adorned the city's "scuole," or lay confraternities' meeting places.
The story of George is directly inspired by the medieval hagiographical texts of the martyrs, especially by the Passions. The epic of the Holy Martyr on horseback in the act of defeating the dragon and saving the maiden, with the fortified town standing in the background, has been a recurring iconographic theme since ancient times. St. George is portrayed while riding a horse above a wide background, his lance piercing the dragon's head. On the right is a praying princess. A diagonal line connects the princess head, passing through the lance, to the twisted tail of the dragon. The canvases of St. George and St. Tryphon are elongated as if to emphasize the character of the epic story.
St. George and the Dragon comes from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore while providing a vigorous image of the knight killing the monster, is also dense with references specific to the Benedictine monastery for which it was made.
Creator
Vittore Carpaccio
Source
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.
St George and Dragon by Vittore Carpaccio (1465-1525, or ca 1526), tempera on wood, 141x360 cm,San Giorgio degli Schiavoni School, Venice, 1502." In Bridgeman Images: DeAgostini Library, edited by Bridgeman Images. Bridgeman, 2014. http://proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/bridgemandeag/st_george_and_dragon_by_vittore_carpaccio_1465_1525_or_ca_1526_tempera_on_wood_141x360_cm_san_giorgio_degli_schiavoni_school_venice_1502/0?institutionId=2558
Valcanover, Francesco (2007). "Vittore Carpaccio". Pittori del Rinascimento. Florence: Scala. ISBN 88-8117-099-X.
Warnke, Martin. ‘Carpaccio, Vittore’. In Religion Past and Present. Accessed September 9, 2020. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_02768.
St George and Dragon by Vittore Carpaccio (1465-1525, or ca 1526), tempera on wood, 141x360 cm,San Giorgio degli Schiavoni School, Venice, 1502." In Bridgeman Images: DeAgostini Library, edited by Bridgeman Images. Bridgeman, 2014. http://proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/bridgemandeag/st_george_and_dragon_by_vittore_carpaccio_1465_1525_or_ca_1526_tempera_on_wood_141x360_cm_san_giorgio_degli_schiavoni_school_venice_1502/0?institutionId=2558
Valcanover, Francesco (2007). "Vittore Carpaccio". Pittori del Rinascimento. Florence: Scala. ISBN 88-8117-099-X.
Warnke, Martin. ‘Carpaccio, Vittore’. In Religion Past and Present. Accessed September 9, 2020. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_02768.
Publisher
Sts. George, Jerome, and Tryphon, joined by St. Matthew
Date
1502
Contributor
Liuren Yin
Rights
Use of this image is in accordance with the Artstor Terms & Conditions
Format
Oil on canvas, 141 x 360 cm
Language
English
Type
Painting
Coverage
Venice, Scuola Grande Di San Rocco, Italy
Collection
Citation
Vittore Carpaccio, “St. George and the Dragon,” ARTHIST 89S - Visual Culture of Venice - Fall 2020, accessed October 22, 2026, https://venice.dahvc.org/fall-2020/items/show/20.