Today's Art in Details is from a portrait of Sir Henry Lee painted by Marcus Gheeraerts II in approximately 1600. I have focused in on the badge that hangs from his expensively jeweled Order of the Garter collar. This badge known simply as 'the george' shows a triumphant St. George on his rearing steed about to hack apart the green and red dragon at his feet. For a small detail the artist has got a remarkable amount of vitality and movement into the object. George's cape and the horses tail are whipped into movement and the dragons neck twists almost painfully around to observe the oncoming attack. That so much care has been taken in the representation of this detail is likely to reflect the honor that the sitter felt in being included in this exclusive order.
