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'The Triumph of St George' by Vittore Carpaccio, Venice, 1502
CARPACCIO, Vittore
(b. 1472, Venezia, d. 1526, Capodistria)
Title: The Triumph of St George
1502
Tempera on canvas, 141 x 360 cm
Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Venice
Episode No. 5 of the series of seven paintings "Episodes from the Life of Sts Jerome, George and Triphun".
In the preparatory drawing for the Triumph of St George, now in the Uffizi Drawings Collection, the new colour density relies more on the perspective construction and the accurate modelling than is the case in the actual painting, where the lavish costumes of the inhabitants of Selene and the ornate trappings of their horses are arranged like highly colourful stage backdrops on either side of the main event. In the middle, alone, St George deals the dying dragon the final blow. Behind him, the city of Selene stands out against the background of green and brown hills and pale blue sky; despite their Oriental flavour, the buildings are arranged and decorated in a totally Venetian way, especially the large construction in the centre, which is somewhat reminiscent of Solomon's Temple or the Kubbet-es Sakbra Mosque in Jerusalem as illustrated in Reeuwich's engravings.
