The sculpture of St George forms the end of the standing figures, which are arranged according to size. It was probably made in German-speaking countries in the 15th century and is made of walnut wood. St George, a Christian martyr of the 3rd century, is best known for the medieval legend of the dragon slayer. The victory over the dragon is interpreted as the triumph of Christianity over evil. The figure of the saint as a knight in shining armour with a lance is a common motif in art, especially in sculpture, but also in paintings and altarpieces.
The figure of St George was part of Eduard von der Heydt's collection, which he had temporarily installed in his seaside house at Zandvoort in the Netherlands. Contemporary photographs show the figure of St George in the window aisle of the long glass veranda facing the sea. The wooden sculpture was flanked by two wooden funerary figures from the Congo, now in the Rietberg Museum in Switzerland. The photographs can be found below in the digital guide. This combination of medieval holy figures and African objects shows that von der Heydt focused on the aesthetic effect and considered the works of art to be of equal value. The visual fascination was intended to encourage further and more in-depth study of the objects.
- Material & Technik
- Wallnussholz, handbemalt
- Museum
- Von der Heydt Museum
- Datierung
- 17. Jahrhundert
- Inventarnummer
- Br. 575 v.d.H.