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| Paolo Veronese The Martyrdom of St George, c.1565, oil on canvas, 431.3 x 300.4cm |
You may be forgiven for thinking that there are many paintings that do not contain a dragon, and you would be right. You can probably think of several off the top of your head, not least the twelve paintings featured so far on this blog.
However, the reason why this painting is so significant for not containing a dragon, is that it was originally supposed to. Paolo Veronese, the artist who is responsible for this incredible work of art and who also painted the Feast at the House of Levi (see Art Review 21st February 2014), was commissioned to paint an altarpiece for the Church of San Giorgio in Braida, Verona. There was already a painting in place over the high altar, probably Giovanni Francesco Caroto's St George and the Dragon (below).
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| Caroto, St George and the Dragon, 1535 |
This painting was moved to another church, also with George as its patron saint, hence the need for a new altarpiece at Braida. Caroto's work shows St George as a knight on horseback having just vanquished the dragon, his broken lance having pierced the beast's neck. This iconography is quite typical for paintings of this subject. We can compare those works by Paolo Uccello, Raphael and Giorgio Vasari, to name but a few.
George himself was a knight from Cappadocia in modern Turkey, living between the third and fourth centuries AD. There was a city in the area that was suffering under a terrible situation. A dragon was demanding human sacrifices and people were chosen by lot. One day, the King's own daughter was chosen and taken to the dragon's home by the lake. In a miraculous turn of events, George arrived and subdued the dragon. He bound it with the princess's girdle and led it into the city to show the people and to convert them to Christianity. They become Christians and George becomes a hero [1]. This story is narrated by Jacobus Voragine in The Golden Legend, and George’s fame spread. In 494 AD under the approval of Pope Galasius, George was made a saint. By the seventh and eighth centuries he had become the Patron Saint of England and his feast day has been celebrated on 23rd April ever since.
Although he is famous for subduing and
killing the dragon that been terrorising a city, Veronese does not choose to
depict that most famous of moments. The
artist dispenses altogether with the dragon and the heroic knight on horseback
and instead focuses on the moment before the saint’s martyrdom. It is said that George refused to worship
pagan idols and was beheaded in Nicomedia on the orders of the Emperor
Diocletian in the fourth Century AD. We
see George kneeling, surrounded by people, his armour taken from him and his
face raised to heaven. The old man
behind him tries to make him look at, and worship, the statue of Apollo at the
far left of the picture, but the knight will not tear his eyes from his heavenly
vision. The Virgin Mary and Jesus look
down on the scene below, whilst Faith, Hope and Charity join a Sacred
Conversation with Saints Peter and Paul.
A winged cherub is about to crown George with the laurel wreath of
victory, and although the executioner makes ready his sword, George has already
left his earthly life, emotionally and spiritually, behind him.
This monumental masterpiece, standing
at over four metres in height has been described as Veronese’s best work and “the
most beautiful painting ever” [2]. Perhaps, after all, it didn’t need the
dragon.
Alison Barker
Next time: Have you seen…the one with a dragon?
[1]
Zuffi S (ed), Saints in Art, J Paul
Getty Museum Publishers, LA (English Trans), 2003, p.144
[2]
Durrant N, The Times, March 8th
2014, p.5
