Saint George c. 1475

This anonymous woodcut from c. 1475 depicts Saint George, a popular figure in Christian art, slaying a dragon. Saint George is traditionally shown on horseback, wielding a spear, and often a dragon is shown beneath him. The woodcut depicts this iconic scene in a simplified, almost cartoonish style, common in the early printing era. The use of black and white with limited hand-coloring emphasizes the dramatic action of the scene. This woodcut would have been produced to disseminate religious imagery to a wide audience.