Jacopo Tintoretto, 'Saint George and the Dragon', about 1560.
London, The National Gallery.

 

Gustave Moreau, 'Saint George and the Dragon', 1889-90.
London, The National Gallery.

Travelling Companions: Saint George by Tintoretto and Moreau

10 February - 1 April 2000 Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter
8 April - 29 May 2000 Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
3 June - 23 July 2000 Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead

Supported by The John Ellerman Foundation

The fourth 'Travelling Companions' exhibition comprised two paintings of Saint George and the Dragon; the artists were Jacopo Tintoretto (1519 - 1594) and Gustave Moreau (1826 - 1898). Although they were painted more than three hundred years apart, both works show the same moment from the legend of Saint George - the defeat of the evil, pestilent dragon. This will ensure the rescue of the princess and persuade the citizens of the city she represents to convert to Christianity.

The major differences between the two paintings occur in their style and technique. Tintoretto has painted in a bold and vigorous way emphasising the drama of the moment. His composition is innovative and full of movement, the brushstrokes seem spontaneous and energetic. Moreau's painting looks back in history to Early Renaissance images and Byzantine icons; he depicts the hero locked in a motionless, more dream-like spiritual combat. His work is painted with great attention to detail and texture, showing a mixture of painting and drawing.


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