Dante Gabriel Rossetti

St George and Princess Sabra

1862

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

Not on display

Artist: Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828–1882
Medium: Watercolour on paper
Dimensions: Support: 524 × 308 mm
frame: 732 × 517 × 32 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Bequeathed by Beresford Rimington Heaton 1940
Reference: N05231

Display caption

This is one of a number of watercolours by Rossetti illustrating the legend of St George. Having killed the dragon, St George washes the blood from his hands in his upturned helmet. He watches through the window as a crowd carries the dragon's head in triumph. Typically, Rossetti makes the public celebration subordinate to the interaction between St George and Princess Sabra whose life he saved. In an intimate and disturbing scene, she kneels kissing his bloodied hands. Elizabeth Siddall, whom Rossetti had married in 1860, modelled for Princess Sabra, only days before taking an overdose of laudanum.

Gallery label, August 2004

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Explore

architecture(30,960)
- features(8,872)
- - window(1,047)
- townscapes / man-made features(21,603)
- - townscape, distant(8,109)
history(5,776)
- politics and society(2,337)
- - period: Middle Ages(45)
interiors(2,776)
- domestic(1,795)
- - interior - non-specific(838)
literature and fiction(3,138)
- literature (not Shakespeare)(2,276)
- - Percy, T., ‘Reliques of Ancient English Poetry’(2)
objects(23,571)
- clothing and personal items(5,879)
- - helmet(272)
people(22,072)
- actions: expressive(2,622)
- - kissing(93)
- actions: postures and motions(9,111)
- - kneeling(502)
  - standing(3,106)
- actions: processes and functions(2,161)
- - washing / drying(101)
- adults(20,120)
- - man(10,453)
  - woman(9,110)
- groups(5,156)
- - crowd(646)
- named individuals(12,887)
- - Siddal, Elizabeth Eleanor(12)
- portraits(4,491)
- - individuals: female(1,698)
religion and belief(2,443)
- Saints(235)
- - St George(9)
- universal religious imagery(859)
- - halo(86)
work and occupations(5,453)
- royalty and social rank(345)
- - knight(38)
  - princess(30)

You might like

Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Adoration

1858–64

View by appointment
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Paolo and Francesca da Rimini

1855

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Blue Closet

1857

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Wedding of St George and Princess Sabra

1857

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Chapel before the Lists

1857–64
Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Heart of the Night (Mariana in the Moated Grange)

1862
Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Passover in the Holy Family

1856
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Arthur’s Tomb

1860

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Palace of Art, engraved by the Dalziel Brothers

published 1857

View by appointment
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Roman de la Rose

1864

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti St Catherine

1857

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Dante’s Vision of Rachel and Leah

1855
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Dante’s Dream at the Time of the Death of Beatrice

1856

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Mary in the House of St John

1859
Dante Gabriel Rossetti How Sir Galahad, Sir Bors and Sir Percival Were Fed with the Sanct Grael; but Sir Percival’s Sister Died by the Way

1864

On display at Tate Britain part of The Rossettis

In the shop

Browse the shop