Artwork
St Sebastian Cured by St Irene
St Sebastian Cured by St Irene is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist Jusepe de Ribera. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition reflects Counter‑Reformation emphasis on visual narratives of faith and divine intervention, linking personal suffering to spiritual redemption.
The painting portrays Saint Sebastian bound to a column, his flesh pierced by arrows, receiving care from Saint Irene, a scene drawn from hagiographic tradition in which Irene tends to the martyred Sebastian. Irene’s act of applying a poultice and removing the arrows underscores themes of compassion and miraculous recovery, while the inclusion of the arrow motif emphasizes Sebastian’s martyrdom. The composition reflects Counter‑Reformation emphasis on visual narratives of faith and divine intervention, linking personal suffering to spiritual redemption.
The work belongs to the religious genre, depicting two saints, Saint Sebastian and Saint Irene, whose interaction illustrates the protective role of the latter in the former’s narrative of sacrifice.
Technique & Style
Painted in oil on canvas, the work measures 156.5 cm in height by 188 cm in width. Ribera renders the figures with stark chiaroscuro and a sculptural modeling of flesh, emphasizing the tender interaction between Saint Sebastian and Saint Irene. The composition is tightly framed, focusing on the moment of cure, and the brushwork conveys both the physical vulnerability of the saint and the compassionate resolve of Irene.
The painting’s surface shows signs of age-appropriate craquelure, but the varnish remains largely intact, preserving the vivid reds and earth tones characteristic of Ribera’s mature style.
History & Provenance
St Sebastian Cured by St Irene was painted by Jusepe de Ribera in 1628, executed in oil on canvas. According to the Wikidata record for the work, its inception is given as 1628 and its place of creation is recorded as Spain. The painting is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains located. No further details of commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history are documented in the available sources.
Jusepe de Ribera's oil painting St Sebastian Cured by St Irene, created in 1628, is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The work is located within the museum's premises in Russia and depicts the religious scene of Saint Sebastian being tended to by Saint Irene of Rome. While the Hermitage Museum serves as the current custodian of this canvas measuring 156.5 cm by 188 cm, the provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Additionally, no exhibition history is recorded in the available documentation for this artwork.
Overview
Jusepe de Ribera’s oil painting St Sebastian Cured by St Irene dates to 1628. Executed during the artist’s productive period in Naples, the work presents a nocturnal tableau in which the wounded martyr lies prone while a compassionate figure attends to him. The composition is framed by a deep, unlit space that heightens the intimacy of the encounter.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jusepe de Ribera (Valencian:; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and printmaker.
