Icon - George the Dragonslayer - Wood

Saint George defeating the dragon, one of the most widespread representations in the Byzantine and Slavic world.

Iconographic identification

Central figure: Saint George (Γεώργιος ὁ Τροπαιοφόρος), mounted on a white horse, with a golden halo.

Gesture: the saint blesses with his right hand while subduing the dragon, emphasizing that victory is through the grace of Christ, not just human strength.

Dragon: symbol of evil, paganism, and chaos, defeated under the horse's hooves.

Mandylion (above, in the center): the Image not made by human hands with the face of Christ, indicating that the saint's action proceeds from Christ himself.

Female figure on the right: the liberated princess, witness to the victory of good, and figure of saved humanity.

Architecture: refers to the city or the ordered world, restored after the defeat of evil.

Registrations

At the top, there is an inscription in Greek or ecclesiastical Slavic.

Saint George

The abbreviation IC XC next to the Mandylion corresponds to Jesus Christ.

Style and approximate dating

Technique: egg temple on a board.

Palette: ochres, deep browns, and aged golds.

Drawing: line work, with simplified volumes and strong expressiveness.

Probable origin: Russian or Balkan icon.

Estimated chronology: 18th–19th centuries, with natural wear, craquelure, and darkening of the varnish.

Theological significance

This icon is not narrative in the Western sense, but symbolic and liturgical.

Saint George represents the victorious Christian in Christ.

The dragon is not a real animal, but the embodiment of defeated evil.

The Mandylion reminds us that all victory is Christ-centered.

An authenticity certificate is provided, endorsed by the Ministry of Culture of Estonia.