St. George

Dosso Dossi (Giovanni di Nicolò Luteri)

Download hi-res image TITLE St. George
AUTHOR Dosso Dossi (Giovanni di Nicolò Luteri)
DATE c. 1540
OBJECT TYPE AND MATERIAL Oil on panel
DIMENSIONS cm 163 x 48
INVENTORY 1222
ROOM XXI
Work on display

The St. George and the St. John the Baptist, which once stood on either side of a now lost Madonna and Child, are late works, in which the figures’ sculptural character is highlighted by sharp blades of light and their contrived posture, for example, the way in which John the Baptist twists his body to show off his muscular shoulder to the observer. St. George’s facial features are said to be those of Francesco d’Este, lord of Massa Lombarda (the city for which the panels were painted) and probably the patron who commissioned the work.