Artwork

Saint Sebastian speaking to Marcus and Marcellian and Saint Sebastian and Saint Polycarp destroying Idols

Saint Sebastian speaking to Marcus and Marcellian and Saint Sebastian and Saint Polycarp destroying Idols is an oil painting by the Early Renaissance artist Pedro García de Benavarre. It dates from 1455 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work is a religious painting that visually narrates two distinct episodes from the lives of early Christian martyrs.

The work is a religious painting that visually narrates two distinct episodes from the lives of early Christian martyrs. One scene depicts Saint Sebastian speaking to Marcus and Marcellian, representing his role in comforting and converting the twin brothers before their martyrdom. The accompanying scene illustrates Saint Sebastian and Saint Polycarp destroying idols, symbolizing the saints' zealous rejection of paganism and their defense of the Christian faith through the physical dismantling of false gods.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on wooden panel, reflecting the devotional style of mid-15th-century Spanish religious art. Its composition presents Saint Sebastian in dialogue with the saints Marcus and Marcellian while also depicting him confronting idolatrous figures, combining narrative clarity with emotive realism characteristic of the period. The formal treatment emphasizes linear precision and restrained coloration, aligning with contemporary devotional practices and the artist’s documented technical approach.

History & Provenance

The work was created by Pedro García de Benavarre and is dated to 1455, executed in oil paint on panel. The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is currently located. Its dimensions are recorded as 160 cm in height and 68 cm in width.

A secondary source notes a broader inception range of 1455 to 1470, but the canonical date of 1455 is authoritative for the work's creation. No further details regarding commission, prior ownership, or chain of custody prior to the Museo del Prado are documented in the available sources.

The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

Sources provide only the location and collection of the work. No inventory or accession number is given in the provided materials, nor is any exhibition history documented.

Overview

This oil painting, created by Pedro García de Benavarre in 1455, is a double-scene narrative work depicting Saint Sebastian in two distinct episodes. It is housed at the Museo del Prado.