Artwork
Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene and Her Maid
Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene and Her Maid is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Bernardo Strozzi. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the martyrdom and aftercare of Saint Sebastian, a Christian saint traditionally shown pierced with arrows.
The painting depicts the martyrdom and aftercare of Saint Sebastian, a Christian saint traditionally shown pierced with arrows. According to the catalogue entry, the work's main subject is Saint Sebastian tended by Saint Irene, a scene drawn from the hagiographic tradition in which Irene of Rome, sometimes accompanied by a servant, discovers the wounded Sebastian after his apparent execution by archers and tends to his injuries, an act credited with enabling his survival.
The inclusion of Irene's maid extends the narrative of charitable care beyond the saint herself, emphasizing the communal dimension of mercy in Counter-Reformation religious imagery. By pairing the suffering martyr with figures of devoted nursing, Strozzi transforms the episode into a meditation on bodily compassion and spiritual resilience, themes central to early seventeenth-century devotional painting.
Technique & Style
Created in 1630, Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene and Her Maid is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 166.7 cm in height and 118.7 cm in width. As a religious genre piece by Bernardo Strozzi, the painting depicts the martyrdom narrative with the saint being attended by Irene of Rome and her maid.
The medium of oil paint allows for the characteristic handling and stylistic qualities associated with the artist's Baroque approach to religious subjects.
History & Provenance
The painting Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene and Her Maid by Bernardo Strozzi was created in 1630 as an oil on canvas work measuring 166.7 cm by 118.7 cm. It entered the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, where it remains on display. The work portrays the saintly martyr Saint Sebastian attended by Irene of Rome and her maid, reflecting Counter-Reformation themes of compassion and martyrdom.
Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene and Her Maid is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The sources consulted do not record an inventory or accession number for the work, nor do they list any past exhibitions. Consequently, details regarding its specific catalog designation within the museum and its exhibition history are not available from the provided material. The painting’s current location is therefore documented as the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Overview
This oil painting by Bernardo Strozzi presents the aftermath of Saint Sebastian's martyrdom, when the Roman widow Irene and her attendant discovered the saint still alive and nursed him back to health. The Genoese-born artist, active in the early seventeenth century, treats the religious subject with the directness and emotional immediacy associated with the Baroque period. The work is now preserved in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bernardo Strozzi, named il Cappuccino and il Prete Genovese (c. 1581 – 2 August 1644), was an Italian Baroque artist who was a painter and engraver. A canvas and fresco artist, his wide subject range included history,…
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