St George

In recent years the Hermitage painting has attracted particular attention, due to a large extent to the restoration carried out between 19917 and 2000 that gave the colour scheme back its cold silvery tone. The shadows acquired translucency and subtle modulations; touches of white brought lightness to the figures and began to sparkle on the tops of the battlements; the dragon’s scales became iridescent with a nacreous mix of pale blues and pinks. This eliminated all doubt about the work having been executed by Jacopo Tintoretto himself.
The vertical format of the canvas forced the artist to depict the culminating moment in a confined space. As a result, the personages – the holy warrior, the princess and the monster – have ended up in direct proximity to one another. The composition is full of dynamism. We sense how the power of the galloping horse is transferred to the tip of the hero’s lance. In the uneven, agitated light, bright flashes alternate with areas of shadow, giving contrast to the colours: St George’s pale pink cape presents a play of shades that is reflected in patches of pink on his armour and alternates with patches of green and pale blue. The same combinations are reflected in the dragon’s scales. The princess’s clothing gives off flashes of royal blue and a deep pink.
A tremendous role in this picture is allotted to the landscape, since it supports and intensifies the general colour scheme, adding notes of deep greenish chestnut and blue-green.