Raffello, san giorgio e il dragio, 1503-1505, 02

The Christian knight Saint George is depicted in dark armor atop a rearing white horse, engaging a dragon in a grassy landscape. Having already shattered his lance against the creature's scales, George raises his sword to deliver the final blow while the princess Cleodolinda is seen fleeing toward the safety of the hills in the background.

The combat between the knight and the dragon was a central motif in Renaissance Neoplatonism, representing the soul's triumph over base material instincts and the chaos of the 'lower' world. Alchemical traditions also adopted this imagery to symbolize the purification of the prima materia and the fixation of the volatile spirit.