Saint George and the Dragon (Sint Joris en de draak)

About this artwork.

The provincial war memorial Saint George and the Dragon was created by Ludwig Oswald Wenckebach. An allegory of the triumph of good over evil. The victory of the Allies over the Germans could hardly be depicted more symbolically.

Usually the combative Saint George stands with his feet on the dragon, while he almost won the fight. Here, however, the hero has a far from combative attitude: head bent, battle-weary perhaps. In his right hand he holds his sword that says on it: “Justitia, Libertas, Pax”, or: “Justice, Freedom, Peace”. The dragon is incorporated into the enormous sandstone base. It is embossed all around.

The early Christian legend of Saint George and the dragon dates back to the fifth century. The martyr Georgius defeated a dragon in his native near-eastern region, after which the people converted en masse to Christianity. Since about the eleventh century, it has been a popular motif for depicting the struggle between good and evil.

Ludwig Oswald Wenckebach (the family originally came from Germany) started his career as an artist with woodcuts and lithography. From 1927 onwards, he mainly created sculptures. From the beginning, he strived for a sleek, controlled design. Greek sculpture from the fifth century BC was an inspiring example for him in his work.
There are three sculptures by Van Wenckebach in the city. In addition to St. George and the Dragon, these are Figure of a boy (Jongensfiguur) and Reclining Woman (Liggende vrouw) at Selwerderhof cemetery. What connects these works is the classic form. In 1934, just before the creation of Reclining Woman, he made a short tour of Greece, followed by a five-month stay in 1938.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Ludwig Oswald Wenckebach

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  1959

• Art type
  Monument, Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Bronze, Limestone

• Dimensions
  h 4,40 m; sokkel h 1,90 x b 8,00 x d 1,50 m