St Sebastian and two angels
1650
paint
From the collection of Gemäldegalerie Berlin
1650
paint
From the collection of Gemäldegalerie Berlin
This painting depicts a scene with three figures. In the center, a man sits on the ground, wearing a white cloth wrapped around his waist. He has an arrow in his left shoulder and looks up at the figure above him. To his left, another man sits, dressed in a blue robe over a yellow tunic, and gazes up at the central figure. Above them, an angel with large wings and a red robe points down at the central figure. The angel's gesture draws attention to the man on the ground, who appears to be in a state of distress. The use of contrasting colors, such as the angel's red robe against the muted tones of the other figures, adds depth to the scene. To learn more about the artist's use of chiaroscuro, look up Guercino.
