Saint Margaret and the Dragon

Saint Margaret and the Dragon (c. 1518) at the Louvre was painted largely by Raphael's workshop from the master's design, the dragon-slaying virgin martyr depicted in a moment of miraculous triumph. Painted late in Raphael's Roman period with significant assistance from Giulio Romano, the work demonstrates the workshop's ability to execute Raphael's designs with impressive competence. Margaret, who according to legend escaped a dragon by making the sign of the cross, was among the popular virgin martyrs of the Catholic tradition. The work was sent as a diplomatic gift, reflecting the international prestige of Raphael's studio as a producer of valued objects of religious art for royal and aristocratic patrons across Europe.

The dynamic figure of Margaret striding over the defeated dragon shows Raphael's late style of monumental, sculptural forms, though the execution suggests significant workshop participation.