Saint George and the Dragon

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Saint George was a soldier of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305) who became a Christian martyr when he chose torture and death over renouncing his faith. Venerated by both Muslims and Christians during the medieval period, Saint George was renowned for his bravery. One thirteenth-century story recounts how he rescued the entire population of a Libyan town from a dragon by singlehandedly defeating the creature in combat. This sculpture presents Saint George with his right foot pressing into the neck of the vanquished dragon. George became a patron saint for crusaders and numerous chivalric orders, including the Order of the Garter established by the English King, Edward III, in 1348.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art