St George and the Dragon

Saint George and the Dragon, a work by Paolo Uccello painted around 1470, is a painting that showcases the battle between Saint George and the dragon in an extremely creative composition that is well arranged. In the artwork, Saint George is placed in the middle of the painting dressed in armory and riding a white horse. In this painting, the dragon is represented with wing and a long tail, while its mouth is wide open, making it the dominating figure among the lower half figures in the painting. The princess is standing near the horse, holding a leash tied to the neck of the dragon. The sense of movement is achieved by the means of the diagonals of the lance, horse, and beast itself. The landscape and the distant fortified city, on the other hand, are built on the basis of geometric accuracy, characteristic of the artist. In addition, the dreamy atmosphere of the picture is created by the landscape and simplified architecture which are drawn in unusual shapes. The color palette includes blue, red, green, and gold colors. The top half of the picture is taken up by a bright golden sky through which God the Father is seen towering over the city in rays of light. Here is brought in the element of divine intervention, which implies the help of heaven in the battle on earth, which results in the victory of Saint George. In this respect, the dragon in the picture can be interpreted as an embodiment of evil defeated by faith and the divine providence. The painting integrates the ornamental nature of the International Gothic style with the Early Renaissance concern for perspective and geometry.