“Portrait of a Young Man as Saint Sebastian”
And now, Saint Sebastian.
“Portrait of a Young Man as Saint Sebastian” is an oil on panel painting by the Italian artist, Bronzino, from circa 1533. Bronzino painted this piece early in his career, when he was working in Florence, Italy.
In this piece, Bronzino paints a young man posing as Saint Sebastian. A reddish cloak is wrapped around his bare shoulders. He is holding an arrow in his left hand. The end of an arrow is seen protruding from the left side of his torso.
Saint Sebastian was a Christian martyr who lived from circa 255 to 288 AD. He was born in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, in modern-day southern France, and educated in Milan. In 283, he joined the Roman army and was soon elevated to a position with the Praetorian Guards, the protectors of the emperors.
During the late third to early fourth century, there was a period of escalated persecution against Christians. Sebastian kept his Christianity a secret, but covertly converted people to his religion. In 286, his religion became known. Emperor Diocletian ordered Sebastian tied to a tree or post of some kind and shot with arrows by archers from Mauretania. Though he was left for dead, the attack did not kill him.
Irene of Rome, the widow of Castulus, went to bury Sebastian and found him alive. She took him in and tended to his wounds, saving his life. After his recovery, Sebastian traveled to Rome to warn Emperor Diocletian of his errant ways. He yelled and chastised Diocletian when he saw him in the streets. Diocletian, seeing someone he ordered dead to be very much alive, immediately ordered Sebastian to be beaten to death with cudgels. This sentence killed him. He was approximately 32 years old.
During the Middle Ages, Saint Sebastain became increasingly popular and venerated as a protector from the plague. The idea that he was covered in arrow wounds, similar to buboes, but miraculously recovered, gave comfort to people in constant fear of the Black Death. The public had been exposed to many resurgences since its initial outbreak in the sixth century and then it’s devastating toll through Europe in the mid-fourteenth century. Sebastian became a favorite subject for many Renaissance artists including Botticelli, Titian, Bellini, Mantegna, Hans Memling, and El Greco.
“Portrait of a Young Man as Saint Sebastian” is currently on display at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, Spain.
For more on Bronzino, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
