Artwork
Saint Sebastian
Saint Sebastian is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1656 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
It is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it was formerly owned by the Spencer-Churchill family, who held the dukedom of Marlborough.
The subject of this painting is the Christian martyr Saint Sebastian, depicted in the moment of his martyrdom. His portrayal draws on traditional iconography of the saint pierced by arrows, symbolizing both physical suffering and spiritual fortitude. The work reflects Counter-Reformation themes of faith under persecution, emphasizing the triumph of Christian virtue through endurance.
Rendered as an oil painting on panel, it functions as a devotional image within the religious art tradition, linking to the lost fragment of the Pala di San Cassiano altarpiece. The composition underscores the saint's role as a symbol of resilience and divine protection.
The painting measures 22.5 cm in height and 17 cm in width, created in 1656 by David Teniers the Younger. It is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it was formerly owned by the Spencer-Churchill family, who held the dukedom of Marlborough.
The work belongs to the genre of religious art and specifically illustrates the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, a subject tied to themes of sacrifice and unwavering devotion.
Technique & Style
David Teniers the Younger executed this 1656 religious painting in oil on panel, a support that measures 22.5 by 17 centimetres. The work is classified as a miniature, a format Teniers employed to render the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian with fine, detailed handling. The painting reproduces a lost fragment of the Pala di San Cassiano altarpiece, indicating Teniers's engagement with and reinterpretation of an earlier compositional source.
History & Provenance
The painting Saint Sebastian by David Teniers the Younger is dated 1656 and relates to a lost fragment of the Pala di San Cassiano altarpiece.
It entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it remains held. Before its acquisition by the museum, the work was owned by John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, and later by George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough.
David Teniers the Younger's 1656 painting Saint Sebastian is currently held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The work, executed in oil on panel, is a miniature religious piece measuring 22.5 cm in height and 17 cm in width. It is a copy created by Teniers after a lost fragment of the Pala di San Cassiano altarpiece.
The painting's ownership history includes the 7th Duke of Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill, and the 8th Duke of Marlborough, George Spencer-Churchill, before entering the museum's holdings.
The provided sources do not contain specific records regarding past or future exhibitions of this work.
Overview
David Teniers the Younger’s 1656 oil on canvas presents the martyr Saint Sebastian. The work is part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. It shows the saint bound to a column, his torso exposed, with arrows puncturing his flesh, set against a dark, undefined background that emphasizes the figure’s pallor.
Context
During the Counter‑Reformation, depictions of Saint Sebastian served as exemplars of steadfast belief amid persecution. Teniers, working in the Habsburg court, aligned his portrayal with contemporary devotional trends, emphasizing emotional intensity and the saint’s role as an intercessor for the afflicted.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
