Saint Margaret and the Dragon

The story here is grisly, and it was hugely popular. Saint Margaret of Antioch, an early Christian virgin martyr, was said to have been swallowed whole by the devil in the shape of a dragon. The little cross she carried irritated the beast from inside until it split open and she stepped out unharmed. Titian shows exactly that moment, the young woman rising from the torn body of the monster against a dark, stormy landscape. Because she was believed to have escaped the dragon's belly, Margaret became the saint women prayed to in childbirth, and her image was in steady demand. Titian painted the subject more than once: the signed prime version is in the Prado in Madrid, while this canvas, made around 1565 to 1570, was produced by Titian together with his workshop. It has been in the Uffizi's collection for centuries.