Saint George and the Dragon - a painting tour
Remember, the times are never so bad that a good man cannot live in them.
Men,
Happy Saint George’s Day! Recently it appears I have come down with a bit of a writer’s block so I turned to a French painting created over 500 years ago. Nothing gets the words flowing quite like a picture, which I’ve heard is worth a thousand words.
To celebrate the feast of Saint George, I would like to take you on a virtual field trip - a tour of a painting that tells the tale of Saint George and the Dragon.
This particular painting is by an artist unknown, who, while forever anonymous has given us the gift of peering into the past and drawing from it that dragons, however ferocious, can indeed be slayed with faith in God.
The hero depicted in the painting is the illustrious and legendary Saint George, an early Christian martyr from Anatolia during the ancient Roman Empire.
St. George was a soldier of the Roman army who was tortured and beheaded for his Christian faith in the year 303, in Lydda (in modern day Palestine). He was likely born in Cappadocia, of a Cappadocian father and a Palestinian mother of noble rank. At the death of his father (possibly martyrdom) he moved to Palestine with his mother where he joined the military and apparently served with some distinction, meriting several promotions in rank.
Saint George is regarded as a warrior saint, most popular in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, praised for his defense of the Christian faith and protector of the weak and helpless.
As the Story Goes
The Golden Legend, compiled around the year 1260 by Jacobus De Voragine, archbishop of Genoa, chronicles the the life of Saint George and his battle against a fierce dragon that terrorized Silene, Libya.
1According to legend, the Silene townspeople kept the beast satisfied by feeding it sheep every day.
But the beast’s appetite was no longer satisfied by sheep, so the townspeople began feeding it children, chosen by drawing lots.
Seemingly by divine providence, our protagonist, Saint George enters the city just as the king’s daughter was chosen as the next victim.
As heroes do, Saint George rushed in at the last moment, made the sign of the cross, slayed the mighty dragon and saved the city.
Details
In an effort to capture the danger of the mighty beast terrorizing Silene, bones were painted of the dragon’s prior victims around its body.
The townspeople, being saved by this brave man with unwavering faith in Christ, converted to Christianity.
The Catholic perspective of the painting is apparent, but adorers of the painting undoubtedly were enamored with the visual telling of the exciting adventures of a chivalrous knight, as well as references to life within the times. Remember, Saint George was known for hundreds of years before this painting even existed. So what stands out here that drew moderns (at the time) toward the painting?
The giant castles in the background are actually French fortresses!
The one pictured above is the castle at Tarascon in Provence (southern France).
On the left you will see Beaucaire, just across the way, separated by the Rhône River.
So what’s my point here? Well it is two-fold. Firstly, any cultured man must learn to appreciate art, especially art that was created to evangelize.
Lastly, art such as this piece of Saint George, captures just how powerful living a life rooted in faith of Christ can actively transform society. As told above, the whole townspeople converted after seeing George slay the mighty dragon. This painting encapsulates the supernatural virtues that manifest in man when we allow God to take hold of our hearts.
A lesson I hope we can all draw from is this - you, yes YOU are called to be the light of Christ. You may be the only mirroring of Jesus that random person on the street will ever see. With faith in God and walking in our Lord’s footsteps, you could shine light into the darkness of this world and slay the dragons of your time.
Remember, the times are never so bad that a good man cannot live in them.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Nick | Catholic Manhood
https://www.toledomuseum.org/
Great write up on this glorious Sunday.
Beautiful. Thank you