The NGA has numerous depictions of St George and the Dragon but this small work by Raphael is undoubtedly one of the best. Raphael was born in 1483 in Urbino, a central Italian duchy, the son of a painter Giovanni Santi. Urbino was a place noted for its cultural sophistication and burgeoning scholarship so from a young age Raphael was exposed to refining forces. He trained with his father and Perugino and was already working as an independent master in 1500, aged only 17.

Check out this week’s video blog. And special thanks to Matt & Janice at the National Zoo.