1776
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Saint Sebastian is a 1776 by James Barry, a Romanticism work, depicting Ireland, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows Saint Sebastian, a saint who was martyred for his faith. He's tied to a tree and shot with arrows. The artist likely drew inspiration from other works, like those of Michelangelo, during his time in Rome. The artist studied Renaissance masters in Italy, which influenced his style. He made drawings from famous works, including those by Michelangelo, to learn from them. This helped him develop his skills and create dynamic figures like Saint Sebastian. You can learn more about this style by looking into the technique of chiaroscuro.
Irish artist James Barry made drawings from the works of Michelangelo and other masters while in Rome between 1765 and 1771, at a time when studying from Renaissance masters in Italy was central to artistic training. The muscular body and twisting position of Saint Sebastian—who was martyred for his faith by being shot with arrows—recall Michelangelo’s dynamic male nudes. This is the only known impression of this print. Printed by Barry himself, it demonstrates his experimentation with soft-ground etching to imitate the effect of chalk drawing.
Read the full account in the museum source.
James Barry (11 October 1741 – 22 February 1806) was an Irish painter, best remembered for his six-part series of paintings entitled The Progress of Human Culture in the Great Room of the Royal Society of Arts in London.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
