“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
The Red Angel is a digital painting that challenges traditional storytelling narratives and serves to highlight that the archetype of the hero prince slaying the beastly dragon can be reimagined - courage, determination, and bravery are not exclusive to princes, knights, or any other archetype, but can be found in anyone who is willing to face their fears and challenges head-on.
The Red Angel is inspired by the legend of Saint George and the Dragon:
The legend of Saint George and the Dragon is first recorded in The Golden Legend manuscript, 1265. The Golden Legend, by Jacobus de Voragine, served as a collection of biographies and tales of leaders and saints. The story of Saint George and the Dragon takes place in Libya in a city called Silene (North Africa) - the city was controlled by a venomous dragon that lived in a nearby pond that also served as the only source of drinking water. The people of the city tried to appease the dragon by offering it two sheep daily, then a man and a sheep, and finally their children and youths chosen by lottery. One day, the lot fell on the king's daughter, and she was sent out to the lake, dressed as a bride, to be fed to the dragon.
Saint George arrives by chance at the spot where the princess was to be sacrificed to the dragon. The princess tried to send him away, but he vowed to remain. The dragon emerged from the pond and Saint George tames the beast.
This story has been retold and reimagined in countless ways, but the core of the tale remains the same - good always triumphs over evil.
Dragons can be tamed and heros can be women.
