Physical description
Relief shows in the centre St. George, in left profile on a rearing horse, drives his spear into the dragon. To the right stands the princess before a portico. Five trees are visible in the distance on the right side of the relief
[Relief] St George and the Dragon, relief in painted and gilded stucco. In the centre is St. George, in left profile on a rearing horse, drives his spear into the dragon. To the right stands the princess before a portico. Five trees are visible in the distance on the right side of the relief.
The relief is much damaged, and is broken diagonally across the right-hand side and elsewhere. Its surface is covered with old greyish white paint and gold heightening.
[Frame] Sixteenth-century carved and gilded wood frame.
Place of Origin
Florence, Italy (made)
Date
ca. 16th century (cast)
16th century (carved)
probably 16th century (made)
Artist/maker
Donatello, born 1386 - died 1466 (after, sculptor)
Materials and Techniques
Stucco, painted and gilded in low relief
Dimensions
Height: 36.8 cm, Width: 81.3 cm
[Relief] Height: 36.8 cm, Width: 81.3 cm
Object history note
The relief is a cast from the marble relief of St. George and the Dragon beneath the tabernacle of he Arte dei Corrazzai on Or San Michele, Florence. The marble relief was carved by Donatello about 1417, and the stucco replica perhaps dates from the sixteenth century. The replica does not represent the full height of the marble relief, and is slightly cut above the horse's head and beneath the hooves.
[Relief] This stucco relief is a partial squeeze (cast) from the marble relief of St George by Donatello on the church of Orsanmichele, Florence, probably made in the mid-sixteenth century. The cast was perhaps at one time complete, but now is smaller in both height (by ca. 2 cm) and width (by ca. 38 cm) than the marble original. The replica does not represent the full height of the marble relief and is slightly cut above the horse’s head and beneath the hooves. The areas to the right of the princess and to the left of the entrance to the cave are also omitted.
The squeeze was bought from the Gigli-Campana collection in 1861, and was described as having come from an old Florentine house.
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Historical significance: Orsanmichele had a double function in the fifteenth century as a church and grain market. In 1404 the guilds of Florence were invited to decorate the niches on its exterior. Each commissioned statues of its patron saint, in bronze for the major guilds and marble for the lesser ones. St George was the patron of the Arte dei Corrazzai (armourers' guild). Donatello executed the life-size statue of the saint in marble, and the marble relief below it from which this cast was taken.
The relief is the earliest example of Donatello's innovative rilievo schiacchiato technique, in which great depth and detail is expertly rendered in very shallow relief. The arcade to the right of the princess (unfortunately mostly missing in the V&A squeeze) is held to be one of the most important early instances of the technique of linear perspective.
[Frame] The frame seems to date from the sixteenth century, but it is unlikely that it was always associated with this object. The squeeze is considerably smaller than the marble relief from which the cast was taken and it's unlikely that this was deliberate. If the stucco was originally complete, the frame would have been too small to house it
Descriptive line
Relief, framed in painted and gilded stucco, 'St George and the Dragon', after Donatello, Italy (Florence), probably 16th century
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Pope-Hennessy, John, assisted by Lightbown, Ronald. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964. Cat. 67, p. 82.
Artur Rosenauer. Donatello. Milan 1993, p. 58.
Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1861 In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 29
Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p. 19
Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, p. 82
Exhibition History
Depth of Field: the Place of Relief in the Time of Donatello (Henry Moore Institute, Leeds 23/09/2004-27/03/2005)
Labels and date
ST GEORGE AND THE DRAGON
About 1417
After Donatello (about 1386-1466)
This is a partial cast of a marble relief beneath the tabernacle of the Armourers' Guild, originally made for Orsanmichele in Florence. The arcade to the right of the princess (only partially shown in this cast) is one of the most important early examples of linear perspective used to define space.
Italy, Florence
Painted and gilded stucco
Museum no. 7607-1861 [2008]
Materials
Wood; Stucco
Techniques
Painted; Painting; Gilded; Gilding; Carved
Subjects depicted
Trees; Dragons; Horse; Horses; Armour; Dragon; Saints; Swords; Helmets; Spear; Princess; St. George; Spears; Princesses; George (Saint); Porticos; Chivalry; Saddles; Bridles; Linear perspective
Categories
Sculpture; Religion; Christianity
Collection code
SCP
