Saint George Killing the Dragon

The legendary life of Saint George has inspired many works of art, including this one in stained glass. It was the product of a collaboration between Lucien Bégule, a master glazier, and Eugène Grasset, a painter and decorator, and is considered a precursor of Art Nouveau.

The work was created for the Universal Exposition of 1889 where it was awarded a gold medal. George, an officer in the Roman army, was one day passing through a city terrorized by an insatiable dragon that demanded a daily sacrifice of young people, who were chosen by drawing lots. From afar, George heard the cries of a princess chosen to suffer this deadly fate and decided to confront the monster, killing it with his spear. When praised by the people, he declared that he was God’s envoy and they agreed to convert to Christianity after witnessing the miracle.