The artwork “St. George Slaying the Dragon” by Peter Paul Rubens is a religious painting executed using pen and ink, characteristic of the Baroque art movement. It is part of the collection at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. This piece exemplifies the dynamic energy and dramatic intensity associated with Baroque art, depicting a scene of mythical courage and divine intervention.
In the artwork, Rubens captures the heroic moment of St. George, mounted upon his steed, in the throes of battle with the menacing dragon. With vigorous pen strokes, Rubens illustrates the tension and movement of the struggle; St. George appears poised and focused, his weapon raised to deliver the fatal blow to the beast. The dragon coils and writhes under the weight of the horse, its body forming sinuous lines that contrast with the strong verticality of St. George’s lance. The masterful use of line and shading imbues the scene with a palpable sense of urgency, highlighting the drama of this quintessential battle between good and evil. The artwork is thus a testament to Rubens’ skill in capturing not only the physicality of this violent confrontation but also the moral and spiritual resonances that such a religious subject carries with it.
