Public Art Around the World - St George fighting the Dragon statue

St George Fighting the Dragon Statue

St George and the Dragon Sculpture, Berlin, Germany

Public Art : St George Fighting the Dragon, aka Slayer of the Dragon

Sculptor : © August Karl Eduard Kiss (October 11th, 1802 - March 24th, 1865)

Date : c.1853

Description : A bronze statue by German sculptor August Kiss, depicting St George slaying the dragon. The statue sits high on a marble pedestal. With the dragon pinned under the horse, St George has his flag in his left hand and in his right hand, nothing !. The reason his hand is empty, is someone nicked his sword years ago and it has never been replaced. Shame, it doesn't have the same effect with St George without a sword or lance. However all is not lost, the horse with its front legs raised high, adds to the dramatic impact of one of August Kiss's last works of art.

Location : The statue was originally displayed in the courtyard of the Berlin State Palace (Berliner Stadtschloss) but was later moved to a small square in the Nikolai Quarter of Berlin (good decision, as the Berliner Stadtschloss was destroyed during WWII bombing raids). Unfortunately the new location is a little too small for the statue.

Background to St George and the Dragon : There are many versions and legends about "St George and the Dragon" but the most basic one is ; a town was being terrorised by a dragon, so the villagers offered a princess to the fiery beast. When George heard of this, he rode to the village and rescued the poor, terrified girl. Okay, that is a very diluted version of the story, so for a more detailed account click here to my other page on St George and the Dragon.

St George Statue Trivia : August Kiss won a bronze medal for his life size plaster version of the statue at the world exhibition in Paris, 1855.

St George and the Dragon statues from around the world :