St George and the Dragon Doorway Lintel

myminifactory

In Genoa, houses were frequently built on narrow, steep streets. This led to the lintel being the ideal location for exterior decorations. Often, it was intricately carved with images of St George slaying the dragon or the Annunciation. These motifs signaled the piety of the homeowner and sometimes included sacred inscriptions. This relief originated from a palazzo in Genoa. Unfortunately, its ownership remains unclear, as the coats of arms on the shields held by the soldiers to the right and left could belong to either the di Negro or Novelli families. The theme of St George killing the dragon was extremely popular for the highly ornate doorways favored in Genoa. Decorated door jambs and lintels were a common feature of Genoese architecture. As noted by R. Lightbown, their development resulted from the "…topography of the old city" in which tall houses stood on steep streets, leaving the doorway as the most visible area for displaying wealth or family identification. Rectangular carved lintels surmounted palazzo doorways, often containing a scene of St George slaying the dragon. Above such lintels, a square projection with the monogram of Christ was frequently found. The use of slate was typical in Genoa due to its high tensile strength and exceptional water and fire resistance. These qualities, combined with its natural abundance in Liguria (the region surrounding Genoa), made it the city's preferred material for roof tiles, chimneys, doorways, and floors. Gallery location: Medieval & Renaissance, Room 50a, The Paul and Jill Ruddock Gallery, case WSCourtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London