Saint George and the Dragon
Bernat Martorell was one of the greatest painters in Catalonia, Spain, during the first half of the 15th century. Here, he rendered a frequently depicted episode from the popular legend of Saint George, in which the model Christian knight saves a town and rescues a beautiful princess. George’s halo and armor and the scaly dragon are richly modeled with raised stucco decoration.
Colors in this work
Details
- Artist
- Bernat Martorell
- Date
- 1434–35
- Medium
- Tempera on panel
- Dimensions
- 155.6 × 98.1 cm (61 1/4 × 38 5/8 in.)
- Origin
- Spain
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Palette
-
Select a color to find related artworks.
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Gift of Mrs. Richard E. Danielson and Mrs. Chauncey McCormick
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Subject Matter
-
Narrative Both · 99%
A haloed saint, princess, dragon, horse, fortified town, and witnesses form a recognizable episode from the legend of Saint George.
-
Conflict Both · 99%
The mounted armored figure is shown confronting the dragon with a lance, making combat the central action.
-
Hybrids and Imaginary Creatures Both · 99%
The large winged dragon is a central subject, while smaller ambiguous creatures appear near the cave opening.
-
Saints Both · 99%
Saint George is visibly represented as a haloed, armored saint, and the catalog identifies him as the work’s subject.
-
Human Figure Visual · 98%
The scene includes a mounted knight, a standing woman, numerous spectators, a horse, a dragon, and other animals.
-
Cityscapes and City Scenes Visual · 95%
A fortified settlement with towers, walls, battlements, and clustered onlookers occupies the middle and upper background.
Medium and Techniques
-
Painting Metadata · 99%
The museum classifies the work as a painting in tempera on panel.
-
Tempera Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies the medium as tempera on panel.
-
Altarpiece Metadata · 99%
The work was the central panel of an altarpiece devoted to Saint George.
Time Periods
-
15th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to 1434–35.
Cultural and Religious Styles
-
Christian Art and Architecture Both · 99%
The image depicts Saint George, a Christian saint, and the catalog explicitly identifies the subject as Christian and religious.
Source & rights
Bernat Martorell. Saint George and the Dragon. The Art Institute of Chicago.
High-resolution sources
- IIIF image service ↗ 1,686 × 2,702 · Art Institute Chicago · Availability not yet probed