Icon - George the Dragonslayer - Wood

This is an icon of Saint George, one of the most popular warrior saints in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

* In the center:
Saint George is mounted on a white or grey horse.
He pierces a dragon with a spear.
The dragon lies beneath the horse’s hooves.
A princess (or royal figures) often stand near a city gate in the background.
Christ appears above in a heavenly cloud blessing the scene.
This composition represents the famous legend in which Saint George saves a city from a dragon that demanded human sacrifices.

* The story is symbolic rather than historical:
The dragon represents evil, paganism, or Satan.
The princess represents the Church or humanity in need of salvation.
Saint George represents Christian faith triumphing over evil.
Christ above shows that the victory comes through divine power.
This theme became extremely popular in Russia, the Balkans, and throughout the Orthodox world.


* Likely Russian, possibly late 19th to early 20th century.
Painted on wood panel.
Gold leaf background.
Decorative black border with red inner line.
The inscription at the top appears to be in Church Slavonic.
The more naturalistic horse and dramatic movement suggest it may come from the late Imperial Russian period, when icon painting incorporated more Western artistic influence.

*The style and finish suggest it could be late 1800s or early 1900s.
The condition looks relatively good with some surface wear.
The darker outer field (black background) is typical for later Russian icons.
If it is authentic and not a modern reproduction, it could date roughly between 1880–1910.