Artwork
Hl. Sebastian
Hl. Sebastian is an unspecified painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert. It dates from 1633 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work represents the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, a central theme in Catholic iconography that emphasizes faith, suffering, and spiritual transcendence.
The painting depicts Saint Sebastian, the Christian martyr whose death by arrows became one of the most recognizable subjects in Western religious art. The work represents the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, a central theme in Catholic iconography that emphasizes faith, suffering, and spiritual transcendence. As a religious painting from 1633, it participates in the Baroque tradition of devotional imagery, where the saint's stoic endurance of physical torment serves as an exemplar of piety and divine fortitude for the viewer.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Hl. Sebastian was created by Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert in 1633. Classified as a religious work depicting the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, the piece is currently held in the Alte Pinakothek as part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
The work measures 189.5 cm in height and 135.8 cm in width. While the specific commission details and earlier ownership history are not detailed in the available records, the creation date is firmly established as 1633.
The painting Hl. Sebastian by Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Specifically, the work is part of the collection at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The artwork, created in 1633, depicts the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian and measures 189.5 cm in height and 135.8 cm in width.
The provided sources do not contain specific inventory numbers, accession dates, or a record of the painting's exhibition history.
Context
Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert painted Hl. Sebastian in 1633, a religious work now housed in the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The painting depicts the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian and measures 189.5 cm by 135.8 cm. It is classified as a religious painting within the broader Baroque tradition, reflecting the devotional themes common in 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art.
Contemporary scholarship situates it within the artist’s mature period, characterized by naturalistic detail and emotional intensity in martyrdom scenes.
Overview
Created in 1633, this religious canvas by Flemish artist Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert portrays the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. The work is part of the collection of Munich’s Alte Pinakothek, where it is displayed among other Baroque religious paintings.
Technique & Style
Bosschaert employs a dramatic chiaroscuro, allowing bright highlights to illuminate the flesh and arrows while the surrounding space recedes into deep shadow. The stark contrast emphasizes the physicality of the saint’s torment and creates a sense of three‑dimensionality typical of early‑17th‑century Flemish Baroque painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert (1613–1654) was an artist, born in Bergen op Zoom.
Allegorical depiction of Mars (Friedrich Wilhelm, elector of Brandenburg?) receiving the weapons of Venus (Louisa Henrietta, countess of Nassau?) and Vulcan
Jupiter and Antiope
Vision des hl. Antonius von Padua
Venus Arming a Warrior, possibly Johan Maurits at the Forge of Vulcan
Hl. Cajetan
The prophet Elijah awakened by the angel on Mount Horeb (I Kings 19:5-6)
Coronation of Mary
Study of a Boy's Head
Maria mit Kind und den hll. Sebastian und Katharina (zugeschrieben)
St Sebastian Being Tended by Two Angels
St Sebastian Being Tended by Two Angels
Austreibung aus dem Paradies (?)
Kommunion der hl. Magdalena
Kain und Abel (?)
Allegorie: Die versäumte Gelegenheit
Cephalus und Procris
Icarus and Daedalus
Nymphe and Satyr
The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian- Hl. Sebastian (Kopie nach)