European Painting before 1900, Johnson Collection Saint Sebastian Cured by Irene Painted over Giordano's Christ among the Doctors c. 1665 Luca Giordano, Italian (active Italy and Spain), 1632 - 1705 Oil on canvas * Gallery 258, European Art 1500-1850, second floor W1901-1-5 Purchased with the W. P. Wilstach Fund, 1901 |
LabelSebastian, a Roman soldier turned Christian, was stripped and shot with arrows for shielding Christian martyrs in defiance of the Emperor. He is shown here under the care of Saint Irene, who miraculously removed the arrows and healed his wounds. Sebastian's triumph over his affliction led him to become the saint who was invoked against dangers like the plague. He is often portrayed in paintings from Naples, such as this one, that were painted after the city's terrible plague of 1656. The shadowy forms in the central background are vestiges of an earlier Giordano work over which the artist painted this composition. * Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
