The image of the serpent in the art
 

I venture to offer sophisticated public topic that may interest many, as diverse and covers different types of creativity. This issue concerns the use of the image "serpent" in the art. The variety of interpretations will be interesting and entertaining. I am sure that the material syschetsya lot.
 
 I give a few examples:
St George and the Dragon. Novgorod. 15 in., TG
St George and the Dragon. Fresco of the Church of St.. George in Staraya Ladoga. 12.
George and Theodore. Fresco Karanlik Kilis. 11.
George. Fragment Lyudgoschinskogo cross. 1356, the Museum of Novgorod.
George. Mosaic icon. Paris, Louvre.
George. Carved icon. At 13-14. Berlin, the Museum of Frederick.
Demetrius of Thessalonica. Byzantine school. Moscow, Pushkin Museum.
St George and the Dragon. Russian school. St. Petersburg, Russian Museum

That's such a snake.

Dear Nicodemus
advise you to narrow the topic by distinguishing between a dragon and the serpent serpent as a snake.

Acland,
I am not against your advice, but in some images means serpent, and the dragon is depicted. This happens not because the artist did not understand the differences, but because it was so he could see (for example) the serpent of the Bible. If we are immediately going to put the border between the images, we have impoverished disclosure issues.

a bit about "serpent-dragon" ...
 

Wiki DRAGON - http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%...83.D1.80.D0.B5
Wiki dragon - http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%B9
The serpent of wisdom on Kabalistic Sephiroth Tree of Life. One of the symbols of the secret society the Golden Dawn Fig. Brodie Innes.

What do want to say? Thou shalt not kill, Do not steal, do not commit adultery! Who on these precepts achieved wealth and prosperity!? Kill, steal-the commandments of wealth and success!

The image of the snake as an image of evil is universal in all times.

There was still "World Serpent" (Midgårdsormen) - in the old Norse religion until the adoption of Christianity. In the art of the peoples of Scandinavia at the time that the serpent, perhaps, dominated - both in itself and as an element of ornamentation (see 1, about 1030). Even during the transition to Christianity (in the XI - XII centuries). He did not immediately handed over their positions in the arts, and more than one hundred years represented, along with Christian symbols - and not just on runic stones (see 2, about 1060), even in the ornament of the Christian Churches (see 3 - church in Urnes, 1130, carving on the western wall). In 1880-ies. This serpent again briefly emerged from obscurity, but there is already completely lost its religious significance and became one of the elements of the so-called decor Nordic (nordisk, fornnordisk) style in painting, architecture and decorative art of the Scandinavian countries (see 4, mirror and candlesticks, alas, lost). Nordic style lasted little more than 10 years and together with the "Serpent" faded away, replaced with modern elements. Given such a short duration of this style and flourish as follows did not, therefore, good examples of things done in a pure Nordic style can be seen rarely. However, in the past 20 years, "World Serpent" is sometimes possible to meet again - on modern jewelry and leather goods, carried artels "folk art", mainly in the vicinity of Uppsala.

Sculptural group "Laocoon" - a copy of the ancient Greek mythological theme songs for: the Trojan priest and his sons fought with snakes, sent by the god of the seas Poseidon.
Original created by masters of Rhodes in the I century BC - Agesander of Rhodes, Afondorom and Polidori.
A copy of the donated Odessa in the XIX century, a famous philanthropist, mayor for 17 years - Grigory Marazli. Original song is in the Vatican.
A copy is made of Carrara marble. Sculptural group: 2,3 x1, 55h0, 7 pm pedestal: 1,0 x1, 4x0, 7 pm

And so too have!