Donatello: Saint George and the Dragon – the statue and the predella

January 30, 2021
With the statue of Saint George, Donatello presents us with the image of a hero for the first time: young, determined, strong, and human. His beautiful face bears the marks of an expression of concern regarding the task ahead: saving the princess and slaying the dragon that is terrorizing the city. His darkened gaze, furrowed brows, and wrinkled forehead reveal not an abstract, transcendental saint, but a man grappling with his emotions, his fears, and the intense focus required to defeat the forces of evil.
In the predella beneath the freestanding statue, Donatello employs the classic *stiacciato* (shallow relief) technique combined with Brunelleschi’s perspective. The result is a breakthrough in spatial depth, offering us—for the first time in sculpture—a scene that feels natural, contextualized, and almost painterly. These were major innovations that would forever transform sculpture and truly pave the way for the Florentine Renaissance.

00:00 Introduction
01:30 Who was Saint George?
3:58 Analysis of the statue
12:41 The predella with Saint George and the dragon
16:58 *Stiacciato* technique
19:20 Realism
20:53 The princess-maenad
22:26 Vasari's commentary
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Raffaella Arpiani - Arte essenziale
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