Saint George and the Dragon

This woodcut by Giuseppe Scolari is exceptionally dramatic, not just in its imagery but also in its comparatively monumental scale. The suspense in the composition is intensified by the artist’s unique handling of the tools used to incise the woodblock. The typical mode of carving with crosshatching is abandoned in favour of the use of a burin in most areas to create flowing lines of black and white (also demonstrated in the following lot, Saint Jerome). These long lines swirl in opposing directions, amplifying the rearing movement of the horse about to crash its hooves onto the beast below. The apparent look of terror on the saint’s face adds a nervous energy to the scene, which captures the moment of his lance breaking in two, having just speared the mouth of the dragon. Little is known about Scolari and only nine prints are firmly attributed to him. He is only known to us today through this small oeuvre of woodcuts as none of his paintings or drawings survive.