St. George performing a miracle before the Roman emperor Diocletian

Artist/Maker

Material / Technique

Dimensionsh x w: Mått 30,5 x 22,1 cm

Inventory numberNMH 1272/1863

AcqusitionTransferred 1866 from Kongl. Museum (Carl Gustaf Tessin)

Other titlesTitle (sv): S:t Göran utför ett mirakel inför den romerska kejsaren Diocletianus Title (en): St. George performing a miracle before the Roman emperor Diocletian Inventory title (sv): Scener utur St. Georges legend

DescriptionDescription: Edges somewhat torn. Laid down. Inscribed in pen and black ink in lower right corner: "Bricci cabinet de Crozat" (Tessin). Numbered in pen and black ink in lower right corner: 42 (struck out). Numbered in pen and black ink in lower right corner: 1090 (Sparre). Inscribed in pen and brown ink, 3 cm up from bottom centre: Alla prezenza del sudetto Imperatore risucita un´morto di un´monumento. LEggi il?osi sanctorum dove descrive tutti i presenti sogetti. These are two main versions of St. George´s fate following his slaying of the dragon. Jacobus de Voragine favours that which deals with the persecution of the Christians by Dacianus, the Roman governor of Cappadocia, leading to the saint´s martyrdom. The other version of the legend, honoured in these drawings, deals exclusively with the saint´s journey to Rome, where he proudly confessed his faith, was tortured and suffered martyrdom in 303 A.D. under Emperor Diocletian. [Bjurström, It. Drawings, cat. no. 1344] [Description for Bjurström It. Drawings nr 1341-1345:] This and the following four numbers form a series representing the deeds of St. George. the most complete version of the saint´s legend is that told by the learned Dominican and later Bishop of Genua, Jacobus de Voragine, in his "Legenda Aurea" containting c. 150 legends of Christian saints. The oldest dated manuscript is from 1282. The legend falls into two parts, the first treating the saint´s rescue of a young princess from the clutches of a dragon, the second dealing with his martyrdome in Rome in 303 under the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Algardi similarly executed a drawing of St. George and, in 1643, an opera by Luigi Manzini, "Il dragone di Macedonia", was published at Bologna. George was as soldier from Cappadocia in Asia Minor, who, upon his arrival in the city of Silena in nearby Lydia, heard about the fate of a princess about to be sacrificed to a dragon. He speared the dragon, urging the girl to attach her girdle to its neck. Thus wounded and pacified, the dragon was led into the city, where the terrified population immediately accepted St. George´s offer of communal baptism- of 20.000 men, not counting the women and children. [slut]

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Geographical origin

MaterialPaper

TechniqueDrawing