Description:

Here Saint George, an officer in the Roman army, subdues the dragon that had been terrorizing the town of Silene, in present-day Libya, by demanding a human victim each day. With this brave feat George rescues the princess who was to be the dragon’s next meal.

Bernat Martorell vividly evoked the details of the story-the dragon in his stony lair; the saint clad in silver armor, now tarnished with time; and the king, queen, and townspeople watching from the city walls. This painting was the center of the altarpiece for the chapel of the palace of the Catalan government in Barcelona. Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia, and the richly decorated chapel was a focal point of communal identity. The altarpiece also included vivid scenes of George’s martyrdom, which are now in the Louvre, Paris. Costly vestments and an embroidered altar frontal enriched ceremonies in the chapel and celebrated the saint.