St George and the Dragon
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “St George and the Dragon” now? Victoria and Albert Museum, Medieval & Renaissance, Room 62, The Foyle Foundation Gallery, London. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
RoomMedieval & Renaissance, Room 62, The Foyle Foundation Gallery
Closed· opens at 10:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
Throughout the ages artists and craftsmen have made virtuoso carvings as a display of their skill and ingenuity. Although ivory, wood and stone are relatively easy to carve, other materials such as gemstones are much more demanding. Most of these carvings were made for wealthy patrons and collectors, who delighted in the rarity of the material and quality of the carving. The outstanding quality of this warrior saint suggests that it was a collector’s piece. The front of the figure is intricately worked and highly polished. The back, on the other hand, is roughly carved and shows the bark uncut. This contrast was perhaps intended to show how Nature has been transformed into Art.
Read on
The sculptor signing H.L. is an anonymous, virtuoso wood carver, probably trained in Austria and Bavaria before he settled in the Upper Rhine area. He seems to have left this area when the official abolition of religious images began to affect the patronage of religious sculpture, and is thought to have established a workshop in the Netherlands.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- A.30-1951
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
