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Rosetti’s St. George: 4-6. Cristane Martin. St. George -Image 4.
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Rosetti’s St. George: 4-6 Cristane Martin
St. George -Image 4 “’How the good knight St. George of England slew the dragon and set the princess free.’ St. George defends the Princess who stands on the left, naked to the waist and bound to a tree. The knight entwined by the tail of the dragon, kneels in struggle while decapitating the monster with his sword” (828).
St. George - Image 5 “’How the joyful princess was borne home again.’ The princess kneels in prayer in a covered cart; through its portals can be seen the profile of St. George mounted on his horse. Two women spread flowers in the foreground. A man carrying the head of the slain dragon is seen on the left, and behind him are crowds of people” (828).
St. George - Image 6 “’How great rejoicing was made for the wedding of St.George and the Princess.’ The King, left, and Queen right, flank St. George and the Princess. They stand on a balcony overlooking a table on which rests the head of the dragon and the sword that slew him. Two men blow trumpets in the foreground. The model for the Princess was probably Rosetti’s wife, Elizabeth Siddal” (828).
Layers of Meaning • Dragon represents evil, think Christian allegory. • In the story the citizens are so grateful that St. George kills the dragon they convert from paganism to Christianity. • St. George and his white horse represent Christianity and the dragon represents Satan. • Considered to share a common theme with Greek myth of Andromeda and her husband Perseus, slayer of Medusa. Painting by Gustave Moreau (c. 1880).
Meaning continued… • In several versions, George meets his Dragon in Libya which can be interpreted to represent a “distant chthonic kingdom of magic.”1 • Natural spiritualism- “unite the world of nature with the world of the spirit, connect body and soul, real and ideal” (821). • Deliberate Medievalism • Possible St. Michael connection? • Princess and the Dragon fairytale
Works Cited "Saint George." Wikipedia. 9 Apr. 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George>.