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St. George Slaying the Dragon

Painting
Tempera on curved wood panel with red, green, then brown border/background. The top border has two black Cyrillic captions on either side of Christ's figure in the clouds with blue and red robes holding a blue orb. Below him, Saint George sits atop a white horse and wears a red cloak, blue tunic, and gold fish scale like armor. He slays a green dragon with a orange head and back ridge with a long black staff. A woman in green tunic over a white dress with red fur trimmed cape stands in the back right in front of a brick castle with both hands in the air.

2005.02.047

Panel

Tempera

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

2005.02

Betsy Scheuring

Gift

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

Russia

Inscription

Back of icon

28, Initials

Icon

Symbol, Religious

Religious Objects

Ceremonial Objects

Category 08: Communication Objects

12-1/4 in

10-1/8 in

1-1/2 in

INTRO: Community Selections (2013)

Selections From The Permanent Collection (2010)

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Cultural/Historical Context

"The historical St. George lived in Beirut at a time when Christians were persecuted under the rule of Diocletian. In 303, St. George gave all of his worldly possessions to the poor, freed his slaves, and went before the emperor as a follower of Christ. After a righteous speech that insulted Diocletian and his pagan ways, the emperor ordered George to be tortured and beheaded. Apparently the same St. George slew the dragon terrorizing the city of Selena in Libya. Several sources suggest this was done posthumously as a miracle by the canonized saint, rather than by a different St. George. It can be compared to a similar, yet stylistically different, rendering of the same episode seen in 2005.02.084. "

St. George Slaying the Dragon picture number 1