Saint George and the Dragon
A huge sculptural group in Stockholm Cathedral in which the knight slays the dragon and rescues the princess. The regent Sten Sture commissioned it as a memorial to the Battle of Brunkeberg in 1471.
The dragon’s spikes are made of real elk antlers – Late Gothic delight in detail and drama.
The sculptural group was commissioned by the regent Sten Sture the Elder. It was erected in memory of the Battle of Brunkeberg in Stockholm on 10 October 1471, in which Sten Sture defeated the Danish king Christian I. Before the battle Sten Sture had called on Saint George for help. The group was consecrated in Stockholm Cathedral on New Year’s Eve 1489. Sten Sture and his wife Ingeborg Åkesdotter appear as donors, and their coats of arms are on the work. The victory strengthened Sten Sture’s position, and he ruled the realm for a long time afterwards.
The artist was Bernt Notke of Lübeck, one of the leading sculptors and painters in the Baltic region. He had previously made, among other things, a large triumphal cross for Lübeck Cathedral and a Dance of Death for St Mary’s Church in the same city. While working on Saint George he was active in Stockholm for a few years.
The knight sits in full armour on a rearing horse and raises his sword against the dragon. His lance has already broken and remains lodged in the dragon’s body. The dragon writhes beneath the horse with claws, scales and spikes. Around them lie the remains of the dragon’s victims. On a separate base, designed as a castle, the princess kneels in prayer.
The group is made of oak and has been painted and gilded. The dragon’s spikes are made of real elk antlers, which makes it all the more frightening. The armour, the horse’s trappings and the princess’s clothing are richly detailed. The base has reliefs telling the legend of Saint George. Relics were also placed in the group, by tradition of Saint George himself.
The work is a typical example of Late Gothic art, with great drama, movement and delight in detail. The knight’s composure contrasts with the dragon’s wild struggle. The group is one of the largest wooden sculptures of its time in northern Europe. It is made to be seen from several sides, and new details emerge as you walk around it. The horse’s body and the knight’s armour gleam with gilding and silver.
The group is often interpreted politically. On this reading the knight is Sten Sture, the dragon the Danish king and the princess Sweden. The interpretation is common, but no contemporary sources state that it was so intended. In any case the group was a powerful demonstration of Sten Sture’s power and religious piety. The work was at once a thanksgiving to the saint, a memorial and a political message to everyone who visited the city’s most important church.
The sculpture still stands in Stockholm Cathedral, close to where it was originally erected. It has been restored several times. In Gamla Stan, at Köpmanbrinken, stands a bronze cast from the early 20th century. Saint George and the Dragon has become one of Stockholm’s best-known works of art and a symbol of the city’s medieval history.