Icon of St. George
Artist
Unknown
CultureEthiopian
Date20th century
MediumPaint on parchment
Dimensions10 1/4 × 7 1/8 in. (26 × 18.1 cm)
Credit LineGifts of Julia Leverenz
Object number2017.31.1
Not on view
DescriptionAn icon on parchment featuring St. George. The image of Saint George is prominent in Ethiopian art; a popular interpretation is of him slaying a scaley snake or dragon-presenting creature. In the Ethiopian church, he is known as St. George the Martyr; this identity is reflected in religious texts called: Synaxarium, Encomium of Saint George, and descriptions of his martyrdom, the History of the Martyrdom of St. George. He is a highly regarded Saint; the church honors him by holding feasts. The trend of this imagery can be traced to the 15th century, the existence of earlier interpretations and overall explanations, due to the lack of preservation could not be thoroughly traced. There is some sort of symbolic meaning; in this painting, St. George is slaying a scaley creature, which is a metaphor for evil or the devil.
Unknown
late 19th or early 20th century
