Saint George and the Dragon

This preparatory drawing depicts the Christian martyr Saint George in the heat of battle. Mounted on a powerful horse, the saint leans forward to spear a dragon that writhes beneath the horse's hooves. The artist uses fluid lines and brown washes to emphasize the dynamic tension and circular motion of the struggle.

In the Neoplatonic circles of the Renaissance, the combat of Saint George was often viewed as an allegory for the 'miles Christianus' (Christian knight) and the triumph of the rational soul over base animal passions. This motif also appears in alchemical literature as a symbol for the purification of matter, where the knight represents the solar spirit subduing the volatile, chaotic dragon.