St. George and the Dragon is a small oil on wood cabinet painting created by renowned Italian Renaissance artist Raphael circa 1505. It measures 28.5 x 21.5 cm and is now housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., after being part of the Andrew Mellon Collection.
The painting features Roman soldier Saint George, who was a Christian, subduing a dragon with his sword to save the daughter of a pagan king. The event leads to the king and his subjects converting to Christianity as they witness St. George’s bravery.
St. George Fighting the Dragon depicts the legend of St. George defeating a dragon in Silene city that terrorized its residents by demanding sheep sacrifices regularly for their survival.
Raphael made St. George and the Dragon as a gift for King Henry VIII of England from Duke Urbino Baldasserre Castiglione, author of The Courtier. The artwork is part of a pair with another painting also describing an archangel killing demons named “St Michael,” both displayed at Paris’ Louvre museum.
