St. George and the Dragon

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St. George and the Dragon

• Merrell Thida

2
Background

• Dante Gabriel Rossetti
• Sketches of 6 Stained Glass panels
• Indian Ink and Wash, with pencil, on paper
• 1861-1862
• Actual stained glass panels are now in the
  Victoria and Albert Museum
• St. George of Cappadocia is the patron saint of
  England, Venice, and Ferrara

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Legend of St. George

• St. George came to a city where a dragon
  terrorized the town by demanding two children a
  day. To choose the children, the townspeople drew
  lots. Eventually, the lot fell on the Kings
  daughter. St. George rescued the princess by
  pinning the beast down to the ground with his
  lance and running him through with his sword
  (339-340).

4

• Panel 1
• How word came to the King of Egypt touching a
  certain dragon that ate much fold and must needs
  be fed with a noble damsel to stay his maw.
• Panel 2
• How the damsels of the court cast lots and
  who should be the dragons meat and how the lot
  fell to the kings daughter.
• Panel 3
• How the woful Princess was borne to be eaten on
  the dragon.

5

• Panels 4
• How the good knight St. George of England slew
  the dragon and set the princess free
• Panels 5
• How the joyful Princess was borne home again
• Panels 6
• How great rejoicing was made for the wedding of
  St. George and the Princess

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Sketches vs. Legend

• Rather than just showing the slaying of the
  dragon, Rossetti does six panels which describe
  the entire legend.
• Instead of showing the story with children being
  required, Rossetti shows only females or damsels.
  
• Also, Rossetti shows the knight wrestling with
  the dragon, then decapitating him rather than
  running sword through him

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Discovery Learning

• Why does Rossetti only use females (who seem
  older than children)? Image of the female?
• Why does he change the way St. George kills the
  dragon?