Saint George and the Dragon
Saint George was a soldier of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305) who became a Christian martyr when he chose torture and death over renouncing his faith. Venerated by both Muslims and Christians during the medieval period, Saint George was renowned for his bravery. One thirteenth-century story recounts how he rescued the entire population of a Libyan town from a dragon by singlehandedly defeating the creature in combat. This sculpture presents Saint George with his right foot pressing into the neck of the vanquished dragon. George became a patron saint for crusaders and numerous chivalric orders, including the Order of the Garter established by the English King, Edward III, in 1348.
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