Photo Essay: Dragons, art, and lore

Winged monsters, slithery serpents, and scaled critters have been depicted in stories and art for ages. From folklore to digital design, the cultural representations of these creatures has evolved.

In Dragons: Art and Lore, from Asia to the Western World, Melizza Santram-Chernov, a professor in the Becker School of Design & Technology and Visual and Performing Arts Department, instructs students to analyze the historical transformation of fictional dragons from ancient illustrations to modern works like J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “Game of Thrones,” the HBO drama series based on the “A Song of Ice and Fire” novel series by George R. R. Martin.

“All these different ancient cultures have eerily similar depictions of these winged beasts, and we think that’s because they didn’t know how to explain what they were seeing,” Santram-Chernov says.

Reptile specialist Matt Gabriel visited class on Dec. 1 with a few animals in tow to provide inspiration. Students put their studies to work, sketching the reptiles on paper and digital notebooks.

“The class provides an interesting gateway into learning about ancient cultures. I really enjoy fantasy settings with dragons, so learning about their historical mythos — and indulging in a passion of mine — was really special.”

— Dillon Palmer ’25

The course emphasizes common elements found in both illustration and writing based on these creatures — mythical or real.

“I think bringing in the reference material for students to illustrate is important when students try to connect the dots from what they’re drawing to what ancient cultures saw.”

— Professor Melizza Santram-Chernov

Photos: Steven King, director of photography / university photographer

Text: Ed Greig ’23, MFA ’24