Swabian school circa 1520-1530 - Lot 55

Swabian school circa 1520-1530 Saint George overcoming the devil Polychromed limewood (?) applique sculpture in high relief H.: 92,5 cm and carved wooden console H.: 12,5 cm Accidents, missing parts (especially the attribute) and restorations S&C Although he lacks his spear or sword, one can easily recognize here the military saint George overcoming a demon, archetypal image of the fight between Good and Evil. The diffusion of this iconography is particularly intense in the territories of the Holy Germanic Empire where his cult was encouraged by Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) as a patron saint. The Emperor even instituted the Lay Confraternity of St. George, approved by Alexander VI in 1494, whose aim was to create a united front of Christian princes in the fight against the Ottomans. Although the work shows some awkwardness in the proportions, it is animated by an impressive drapery whose flattened and circular flaps describe great curves that seem to exist independently of the garment. This style was widely used in Swabian workshops in the second quarter of the 16th century. Our carved applique work must have originally been part of the decoration of an altarpiece.