Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Tuscan School 17th–18th centuries
Saint George and the Dragon
Oil on canvas 66 x 50 cm. Framed: 92 x 76 cm.
The fascinating painting we present here depicts the victory of Saint George—a noble knight of the Christian faith—over the dragon. His extraordinary adventure, rich in symbolic meaning regarding the struggle between Good and Evil, has always been a favorite theme in art.
“One day he arrived in the kingdom of Silene, ravaged by the presence of a terrible dragon, whose destructive power could be contained only by human sacrifices. It was none other than the ‘soldier of Christ’ who slew the dangerous beast and saved the sovereign’s daughter from the monster’s jaws.” (from the Golden Legend, Jacopo da Varazze)
In our painting, Saint George—both a saint and a knight—is depicted at the moment of his triumph over the Dragon, as he pierces it with his lance: He is depicted according to traditional iconography, on horseback, clad in shining armor and a plumed helmet, with his blue cloak billowing in the wind.
Off to the side, in the background, stands the terrified princess, praying and imploring for her salvation.
The attribution of the work falls within the sophisticated landscape of Tuscan painting, specifically between the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, a period in which local workshops reinterpreted the great Renaissance tradition through a theatrical, dynamic, and chiaroscuro lens.
The artistic style reveals that our painter, presumably active in Florence, was trained in and drew inspiration from the models of Leonardo da Vinci, especially regarding the vibrant anatomical rendering of the horse.
A large number of Leonardo’s preparatory drawings and studies of horses in battle have survived to this day; these, in fact, represent the pinnacle of his exploration of the dynamics of movement, the fury of war, and animal anatomy: many of these were created as preparatory studies for the Battle of Anghiari, the famous fresco commissioned from him in 1503 for Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, which was later lost (Fig. 1—detail).
The steed is, in fact, the true focal point of the painting, displaying powerful, taut musculature, with its front legs bent and suspended mid-air and a thick mane billowing in the wind that accentuates the sense of movement.
Leonardo also explored this theme in sculpture; one need only compare the “Knight on a Rearing Steed” (Fig. 2—early 16th century; bronze, Budapest, Szépmuveszéti Múzeum) to notice the identical pose of both the horse and the rider, confirming that the artist behind the painting on display here drew inspiration from the creator of the sculpture.
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
