Heilige Joris en de draak 1628

David des Granges created this print of Saint George and the Dragon in 1623. The scene depicts the triumphant saint, spear in hand, atop his horse, vanquishing the dragon. The dragon, a symbol of chaos and evil, lies defeated beneath the hooves of Saint George's steed. This motif—the hero's triumph over the monstrous—echoes across cultures and epochs. Consider the ancient Greek myth of Perseus slaying Medusa or the Mesopotamian god Marduk battling Tiamat. In each, the hero embodies order, reason, and civilization, while the monster represents the primordial forces of darkness. The figure of the praying woman is commonly seen in depictions of St. George, as it represents the princess he has saved from being sacrificed to the dragon. The image of the dragon carries deep psychological weight, embodying our primal fears and anxieties. Over time, the dragon has resurfaced, evolving from a symbol of pure malevolence to a complex figure. Ultimately, this cyclical pattern reveals how symbols are continually reinterpreted, reflecting the changing anxieties and aspirations of each new age.