PFORR, Franz
(b. 1788, Frankfurt, d. 1812, Roma)

St George and the Dragon

c. 1811
Oil on wood, 28 x 21 cm
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt

Pforr's short life was overshadowed by illness and depression and this is evident in this painting. The combatants are self-sufficient, in a way that is quite out of keeping with a struggle; only the large and penetrating eye of the horse takes up contact with the viewer. This is a fight without effort, as if the knight were dreaming his own experience in a lethargy remote from time.