Saint George and the Dragon 1485 - 1499

Gian Francesco Enzola created this bronze plaquette, “Saint George and the Dragon,” in late fifteenth-century Italy. The story of Saint George was a popular subject for art during this period, embodying the Christian knight’s triumph over evil. This particular representation reflects the cultural values of its time. Saint George, in his shining armor, symbolizes the ideals of chivalry and the protection of the innocent, and his victory would have been seen to affirm the power of the Church. Consider the political context: powerful families and city-states of Renaissance Italy often used religious imagery to legitimize their rule. This plaquette may have been commissioned by a noble family to associate themselves with the virtues of Saint George. As a historian, further research into the patronage of similar artworks, the socio-political climate of fifteenth-century Italy, and the symbolic significance of Saint George, would give us a richer understanding of this bronze. The meaning of art is always contingent on its historical and social context.