Saint George

Here Saint George is depicted after killing a dragon, the action for which he is best known; the princess he has rescued from the dragon kneels to the left, while a young squire stands next to his master’s horse. The figures occupy an open-air architectural space with a gateway and pinnacled walls. This is the second state of Benedetto Montagna’s engraving; the saint is shown in three-quarter profile, and the princess looks directly at the saint. Benedetto applied diagonal hatching and loose lines, suggesting an interest in the work of Girolamo Mocetto, while the use of heavy highlighting reflects an awareness of Albrecht Dürer’s technique.