St. Margaret & the Dragon

This painting illuminates a story from the legend of St. Margaret of Antioch (Syria).  Her feast day in the Western Church is July 20.  Virgin martyr, and one of the "14 Holy Helpers", she was one of the most venerated saints during the Middle Ages.  During the reign (284–305) of the Roman emperor Diocletian, Margaret allegedly refused marriage with the prefect Olybrius at Antioch, who demanded that she renounce her Christian faith.  When she refused, she was fed to a dragon, who swallowed Margaret. Though it was not her final trial at the hands of the evil prefect, she escaped unharmed from the belly of the dragon by making the sign of the cross.  

 

In this imagination of the scene, the vertical beam of the cross is a shepherd's crook (Margaret was a shepherdess), and the horizontal beam is an oboe.  This is a bit of artistic license, because this art work was originally created to accompany piece of oboe music.

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Oil on Canvas - 36"H x 48"W

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($4000, ornate frame)                      The full selling price of this painting will be donated to the composer, to help cover her expenses

                                                         related to this project.  Details available upon request.