Saint Sebastian in masterpieces of world painting

In the history of art there are stories that have inspired artists for many centuries. St. Sebastian, a legend about which arose in the era of the early Middle Ages, depicted on the canvases and murals of thousands of masters from different countries. What are these paintings about? What is the attractiveness of this image?

Warrior and martyr

The events described by the legend of Saint Sebastian occurred at the end of the third century, during the era of hard persecution of Christians. Honest and courageous Sebastian was commander of the cohort in the personal guard of the emperors Diocletian and Maximilian. Being a secret supporter of the teachings of Christ, he turned his soldiers into a new religion, supported in the faith those who were persecuted by the Gentiles.

When his convictions opened, Diocletian ordered the archers to shoot Sebastian. He was tied to the trunk of a tree and fired arrows into it. Considering him dead, the soldiers left the condemned man in the forest. Saint Sebastian was found by those who came to bury him alive, and his mother, Saint Irina, went out to him. Sebastian did not want to secretly leave Rome and boldly opposed Diocletian, throwing him in the face of accusations of cruelty. By order of the emperor, the martyr was beaten to death and thrown into the river with sewage. His dead body was extracted from there by Saint Lucia, to whom Sebastian appeared in a dream. She buried the body near the Appian Way and the Cathedral of St. Sebastian subsequently appeared on the burial site.

In the years of severe plague epidemics that hit Europe in the Middle Ages, there was a belief that the disease is transmitted through the air. Flying arrows, striking the saint, became a symbol of cruel illness, and Sebastian was the embodiment of protection against an inexorable disaster. In the seventh century, a case began when, as a sign from above, a city-dweller built a chapel dedicated to Sebastian in a plagued locality, and the plague ceased. Since then, the cult of the saint has become ubiquitous. Churches with images of the martyr appeared all over Europe.

Enormous iconography

It is estimated that about 6000 images of St. Sebastian have been created. Each artist reflects his vision of the image, using the artistic means of his time.

One of the canonical images belongs to the brush of the master of the Early Renaissance Antonello da Messina (ca. 1429 / 1431-1479). In his picture we see a young man tied to a pole and struck by arrows, against the backdrop of the prospect of a beautiful city house with high arches above which the bottomless blue sky. Citizens in rich clothes serenely engaged in their own affairs. The figure of the hero is like an antique statue, the person expresses an aversion to everything on earth, he does not notice any pain from wounds, nor beauty of the landscape. Conviction of true faith and aspiration to God gives the person beauty and spiritual purity - this is the essence of the picture.

The beauty of true faith is shown on many other canvases, the hero of which was Saint Sebastian. They were written by such masters of the Renaissance as Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510), Rafael Santi (1483-1520), Pietro Perugino (1446-1523), Giovanni Boltraffio (1466-1516).

Titian Vecellio (1488/1490 - 1576)

The Titan of the Renaissance, Titian, depicted a completely different hero in his painting. Saint Sebastian is a mighty warrior, with a confident calmness opposing evil. The drama of impending death emphasizes the dark color inherent in the environment. But the picturesque structure is not gloomy, it is rich in many shades of fire, smoke, a flaming sunset sky.

Titian is a true Renaissance artist. His attitude to the harmony of the human body originates from ancient traditions, revived by the masters of that era. And the courage and freedom of pictorial means open the way for the painters of the next generation.

Old plot, new painting

In the seventeenth century another painting style was born. Masters of the Baroque continue the traditions that were laid by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian. St. Sebastian is also portrayed as a beautiful youth, an ancient hero. But now the composition, the form and the picturesque palette are considerably more complicated. The faces in the pictures are the faces of people from life. They feel and act not as heroes of myths and legends, they are taken by the artist from their environment, from reality.

The genius who led the others was Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio (1573 - 1610). His paintings on biblical subjects for a long time were not recognized as an official church. His riot and indomitable deprived him of his long creative life. But he left behind a whole current in the painting - caravacism.

His painting "The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian" is known only in copies, but the pictures of the artist's followers with a similar plot convey the features of Caravaggio's picturesque manner. "Saint Sebastian" Josep de Ribera (1591-1652) - a masterpiece of a new painting for that time. A characteristic dark background combines the figures illuminated by dense side light into a complex balanced composition. Magnificently written body of the wounded martyr, the face of Saint Irina, the soaring angel immediately attract attention. It is the drawing, giving depth, lighting the paints on a dark background, the light is characteristic of the caravagists.

Sometimes only one light source is used, as in the picture of Georges de Latour (1593-1652) "Saint Sebastian and Saint Irina". The flame of the candle snatches from the darkness the ineffably beautiful female face of Irina, the figure of a lying youth and women crying. Such lighting emphasizes the subtle play of color nuances and gives the whole scene a special significance.

Plot for all times

Artists are always interested in strong feelings that are born on the verge of life and death, in the struggle between good and evil. The symbol of this struggle was Saint Sebastian. The picture with such a plot is in many great masters of painting. El Greco (1541-1614), Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863), Camille Corot (1796-1875), Salvador Dali (1904-1989) depicted different scenes from the life of St. Sebastian.

Common in them - high art, born of the inspirational plot and genius of the artist.