Artwork
Saint Sebastian in a Landscape
Saint Sebastian in a Landscape is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This painting depicts Saint Sebastian, a Christian martyr, situated within an expansive outdoor setting.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition reflects Counter‑Reformation emphasis on visualizing saintly endurance, with the barren surroundings underscoring his solitary suffering.
Saint Sebastian is shown as a young male martyr standing in an open landscape, a setting that merges the physical and spiritual realms. The composition reflects Counter‑Reformation emphasis on visualizing saintly endurance, with the barren surroundings underscoring his solitary suffering. The work’s religious function is reinforced by its classification as both a landscape and devotional painting, while the depiction of the saint’s pierced body aligns with traditional martyrdom iconography.
Attributed to the Italian painter known as Ferrara, the piece dates to circa 1500 and was later owned by collector Robert Lehman before entering the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Saint Sebastian in a Landscape dates to approximately 1500. The work has been classified as a religious painting depicting the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, created within a landscape setting. Its earliest documented ownership traces to the Robert Lehman collection, from which it entered the holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
No specific details regarding its original commission or earlier provenance have been firmly established in the available sources. The painting’s dimensions are recorded as 29.5 cm in height and 21 cm in width.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued under the Robert Lehman Collection. Its accession number is 1975.1.114, assigned upon acquisition from the Robert Lehman collection in 1975. The work has not been recorded in major international exhibitions according to available records.
Overview
This painting depicts Saint Sebastian, a Christian martyr, situated within an expansive outdoor setting. The figure, shown partially unclothed and pierced by arrows, stands with his arms bent behind him. The artwork presents a contrast between the detailed rendering of the saint's form and the more rapidly executed, suggestive elements of the surrounding landscape, hinting at its potential function as a preparatory study.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a distinctive approach, rendering the saint's physique with meticulous shading to create a sense of volume and depth. This detailed treatment contrasts sharply with the background, where trees and hills are indicated through swift, less defined strokes. The overall loose and spontaneous quality of the work suggests it may have served as a preliminary sketch or an exercise in composition, exploring the dramatic interplay of light and shadow.
Artist & collection
![Christ on the Cross [recto], by Master of the Drapery Studies](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/master-of-the-drapery-studies--christ-on-the-cross-recto--a4fea72fd41170e0-w320.webp)
![Bust of a Youth Looking Upward [recto], by Luca Signorelli](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/luca-signorelli--bust-of-a-youth-looking-upward-recto--98d5b40adccc490b-w320.webp)
![Studies of Legs and Drapery [recto], by Abraham Bloemaert](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/abraham-bloemaert--studies-of-legs-and-drapery-recto--93eb35075fbdb28d-w320.webp)
