St George and the Dragon
by CARPACCIO, Vittore, Oil on canvas, 180 x 226 cm, predella 16 x 52 cm (each)
The epic duel on this occasion serves as a setting for the penitence of Benedict, the meditation of Jerome, and the stoning of Stephen. In the predella, George serenely endures the most awful tortures before his tormentors realize that their only solution is to cut off his head and thus remove his thoughts and magical power.
This altarpiece is a replica of the large canvas in the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni with a richer narrative texture.