Oil Painting, 'Man in Armour', (St. George) style of Giorgione,19th century

A young soldier standing in armour, looking downwards, with a staff leaning on his left shoulder

Purchased, 1866

Historical significance: Giorgione (?1477/8- 1510) is often regarded as the founder of 16th century Venetian painting. Little is known about his life, and there is little agreement on which works can be firmly attributed to him. He came from Castelfranco in the Veneto and probably trained in the workshop of Giovanni Bellini along with Lorenzo Lotto and Palma Vecchio. Within a brief career of 15 years he created a radically innovative style. A high proportion of his subjects were inspired by mythology and secular literature while landscape and the representation of natural phenomena also often play an important role in his compositions. Giorgione’s art tends towards poetic suggestiveness rather than explicit statements, and evokes a mood rather than presenting a clear narrative. His influence on 16th-century Venetian art was very great, particularly on Titian, his sometime collaborator who also completed some of his unfinished pictures. Virtually none of Giorgione’s commissions are documented, but his early Virgin Enthroned with SS George and Francis (the Castelfranco Altarpiece) still in the cathedral of Castelfranco, is unanimously accepted by modern criticism. Giorgione's achievement rests on his use of deeply saturated colours, his innovative poetic and often enigmatic subjects, and his novel use of landscape to create atmosphere.
This is a copy on canvas after a painting on panel (NG629), now in the National Gallery, London probably painted in the 17th century and attributed to an 'imitator of Giorgione.' Both paintings have roughly the same dimensions and their composition is derived from the figure of St. George (previously thought to be Saint Liberalis) in armour on the left of Giorgione's Castelfranco altarpiece (in situ). Both the V&A and NG pictures eliminate the Saint's helmet and crop the composition so that the flag at the top of the staff he is holding is no longer visible. They similarly eliminate the black and white marble ground depicted in Giorgione's original. The National Gallery work was owned by Benjamin West in 1816 and was bequeathed to the Gallery by Samuel Rogers in 1855. It is unclear if 251-1866 was painted before or after its arrival in Trafalgar Square. The NG picture was engraved by Michel Lasne (in the same sense as the painting) in the 17th century who mistakenly attributed the original to Raphael (enscribed 'R.Urb.pinxit'). Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres appears to have made a copy after the painting in 1799, (Christies (Monaco) December, 1990).

This is a copy after a painting now in the National Gallery, London inspired by the figure of Saint George on the left of Giorgione's altarpiece of ca.1500 in the Duomo of Castelfranco.
An altarpiece is an image-bearing structure set on the rear part of the altar, and which normally declares to which saint or mystery the altar was dedicated. Its form and content customarily evoke the mystery or personage whose cult was celebrated at the altar. Altarpiece forms vary enormously, and may include movable statues, relics and sacrament tabernacles among other elements. The original association of the Christian altar was with the tomb of a saint, and theologically with the tomb of Christ. Altarpieces adorned both high altars and side altars. High altars often carried large altarpieces with elaborate programmes while side altars served a more private piety and their altarpieces were often endowed by private individuals.

Giorgione (?1477/8- 1510) is often regarded as the founder of 16th century Venetian painting. Little is known about his life, and there is little agreement on which works can be firmly attributed to him. He came from Castelfranco in the Veneto and probably trained in the workshop of Giovanni Bellini. Within a brief career of 15 years he created a radically innovative style. Giorgione’s art tends towards poetic suggestiveness rather than explicit statements, and evokes a mood rather than presenting a clear narrative. His influence on 16th-century Venetian art was very great, particularly on Titian, his sometime collaborator who also completed some of his unfinished pictures. Virtually none of Giorgione’s commissions are documented, but his early Virgin Enthroned with SS George and Francis (the Castelfranco Altarpiece) still in the cathedral of Castelfranco, is unanimously accepted by modern criticism. Giorgione's achievement rests on his use of deeply saturated colours, his innovative poetic and often enigmatic subjects, and his novel use of landscape to create atmosphere.
This is a copy on canvas after a painting on panel (NG629), now in the National Gallery, London probably painted in the 17th century and attributed to an 'imitator of Giorgione.' Both paintings have roughly the same dimensions and their composition is derived from the figure of St. George (previously thought to be Saint Liberalis) in armour on the left of Giorgione's Castelfranco altarpiece (in situ). Both the V&A and NG pictures eliminate the Saint's helmet and crop the composition so that the flag at the top of the staff he is holding is no longer visible. It is unclear if 251-1866 was painted before or after its arrival in Trafalgar Square.

251-1866