Saint George (exterior right wing)
Historical Context
Saint George, the exterior right wing of an altarpiece, painted in 1514 and held at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, is the companion piece to the Saint Christopher exterior left wing. George, patron saint of knights and soldiers, is shown in full armor, having just slain the dragon that threatened the princess. The pairing of Christopher and George on the altarpiece’s exterior wings provided viewers with two models of Christian heroism: Christopher’s patient service and George’s martial valor. Cranach depicts George as a contemporary German knight, his armor rendered with the metallic precision that demonstrated the artist’s technical mastery. The Thyssen-Bornemisza’s acquisition of these panels reunited key components of this dismembered altarpiece.
Technical Analysis
The polished armor provides an exercise in rendering reflective metal surfaces — each plate catches the light differently, the reflections calculated to suggest the three-dimensional form of the body beneath. Cranach's sharp, precise line work defines every joint and rivet of the armor.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the polished armor: Cranach renders each plate as a different reflecting surface, calculating how light bounces differently off curved and flat metal.
- ◆Look at Saint George's dragon underfoot — the defeated monster is typically small and almost decorative compared to the triumphant knight above.
- ◆Find the companion relationship with the Saint Christopher exterior wing: both saints are patrons of travelers and soldiers, suitable for an altarpiece's exterior.
- ◆Observe how the precise rendering of armor reflects Cranach's training in depicting courtly military subjects for Saxon court patrons.
