Saint George
Andrea Mantegna, 1460
Saint George stands in armour, leaning on the broken remains of the lance he has just used to defeat the dragon. The creature lies at his feet with the lance point stuck in its jaw, a detail that concentrates the moment of victory. The scene is framed by a painted marble border, and both the saint's elbow and the dragon's head seem to break through that edge towards the viewer's space. This kind of illusion is one of Mantegna's signature traits and is associated with a transitional phase between his Paduan period and the early years of his time in Mantua. At the top, a garland of leaves and fruit reflects a motif typical of the school of Francesco Squarcione, under whom the painter trained as a young man in Padua. In the background, a road climbs towards a hilltop crowned by a walled city, placing the saint in a landscape that adds depth to the composition. The work is tempera on panel and is today held in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice.
- Painter
- Andrea Mantegna
- Date
- 1460
- Medium
- tempera, panel
- Dimensions
- 66 × 32 cm
- Museum
- Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice
- Genre
- religious art
- Depicts
- sword, rampart, rural area, blond hair, road, aureola, spear, Saint George
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