Saint Margaret c. 1435

Sassetta painted Saint Margaret with tempera and tooled gold on wood, capturing a pivotal moment from her legend. At her feet, we see the defeated dragon, a symbol of evil. This motif carries echoes of ancient myths, such as Perseus and Andromeda, where the hero conquers a sea monster to save a maiden. The dragon, however, is not merely a beast to be slain; it represents the subconscious fears and temptations that Margaret, and indeed all of us, must confront. Think of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a recurring symbol of temptation, forever entwined with the human psyche. Across cultures and eras, the dragon resurfaces, each time carrying a new layer of meaning, yet always rooted in the primal struggle between order and chaos. This image of Saint Margaret, therefore, is not just a depiction of a historical figure, but an allegorical mirror reflecting our own inner battles.