Saint George and the Dragon - Bernat Martorell

Gift of Mrs. Richard E. Danielson and Mrs. Chauncey McCormick

"Saint George and the Dragon" by Bernat Martorell (1434–35) Tempera on panel.

Commentary

"Saint George and the Dragon" by Bernat Martorell (1434–35) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather than through narrative alone. Themes to notice include Renaissance, painting. This piece is held in the source collection's Painting and Sculpture of Europe collection. Bernat Martorell is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Bernat Martorell (Spanish, active from 1427–died 1452). The work is cataloged within a Spain cultural context. It is associated with the Renaissance period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as painting, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Tempera on panel) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (155.6 × 98.1 cm (61 1/4 × 38 5/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include Renaissance, painting. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/15468

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data