Saint George slaying the dragon

Author, school, workshop

Peter Vischer of Nuremberg

Style

Gothic

Date

1496

Material and technique

Bronze

Location

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Wroclaw, Poland

Description

An alleged dragon lived near a spring that supplied water to the town of Silene (now in Libya). The inhabitants, wanting to fetch water, had to bribe the beast by giving it sheep. When the sheep ran out, sacrifices began to be made in the form of young women. This was done by drawing lots. On one occasion, it fell on a princess. Attempts were made to propitiate the dragon, but the dragon was adamant. Then Saint George appeared on his steed and, hiding behind the sign of the cross, killed the reptile and freed the town from suffering. The grateful inhabitants converted to Christianity.

John IV Roth of his own coat of arms (born 30 November 1426 in Wemding in Bavaria, died 21 January 1506 in Nysa) - Bishop of Wroclaw between 1482 and 1506. Starosta-general of Silesia between 1490 and 1497. From 1466 the nominal dean of the Chapter of Wroclaw, appointed as Ordinary of this diocese by the Hungarian and Bohemian King Matthias Corvinus until his death in 1490, he remained under his strong political influence, and later also stopped the efforts of the Polish Crown to increase its influence in Wroclaw and Silesia.

In 1496 Bishop Jan Roth commissioned his tombstone from Peter Vischer the Elder in Nuremberg. It was set in the south wall of the last bay of the chapel of St Mary's in Wroclaw Cathedral in 1503, and was completed after the bishop's death with an appropriate inscription.