St. George in Front of the Slain Dragon Martin Wiegand There is something epic about the way that St. George is sitting in his saddle in this picture. It was painted by Martin Wiegand in the style of what later was called the Golden Age of Illustration. It is a highly dramatic and narrative style of art that conveys the emotion of a scene. It was very popular in the galleries and the magazines at the time. We LOVE this style! We love its clarity and impact! You can see how movies and comic books would evolve from it, as well as later artists such as Normal Rockwell. It’s a rich, clear, and satisfying style. Martin Wiegand (1867 - 1961) was a German artist who had a long art career. He worked in oils, watercolor, and also statuary, doing mostly figure work. You can find a lot of his figurines for sale on the internet. This painting, (Hl. Georg vor dem Erlegten Drachen) was sold in 2015 at auction. As a footnote, he signed it twice, once lower right behind some grass and then again in the upper left. Perhaps he added the grass after he'd first signed it? Oil on canvas, 112 x 84 cm. 1915. There is no doubt that St. George was a real man who was canonized as a Saint in 494, but his story got entwined with legend. We are sure he defeated something and accomplished the mission God had sent him on. He is the Patron Saint of England, Portugal, Germany and Greece, and many other places. He is identified with the ideals of honor, bravery and gallantry. He is the patron saint of soldiers. As for the dragon, we are reminded of Neil Gaiman’s (G.K. Chesterton’s) remark: “Fairy tales are more than true – not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.” (source bbc.co.uk) ** IMPORTANT ** IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER!! There is a white border around the image. About 0.5" for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11", 1.6" for 11x14", and 1.75" for 13x17", so the image is smaller than the paper!!! – Acid-free fine art paper. – Archival pigments, rated to last for generations. – Cardboard backer – Above story of the art – Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag. Thanks for your interest! Sue & John You might also enjoy original Catholic Art and Jewerly by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, here on Etsy at www.Etsy.com/shop/TreeOfHeaven Also, check out our Catholic Quote shop, where we are pairing authentic quotes from Saints with Art: www.Etsy.com/shop/CatholicQuote “In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson – Classic Catholic Art.