Title

Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken, 1497-1499. Creator: Josse Lieferinxe.

Caption

Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken, 1497-1499. St. Sebastian was a Roman military officer martyred about AD 300 by being shot full of arrows and then clubbed to death. He was prayed to for protection against the plague. This painting depicts one instance of his intercession. According to legend, this event occurred long after the saint's death, during an outbreak of the plague in 7th-century Pavia, Italy. Here, just as a victim is to be buried, a grave attendant is struck by the disease. The plague-or Black Death-devastated Europe for centuries, and the painting's viewers would have known its horrors. St. Sebastian, pierced with arrows, kneels before God to plead on behalf of humanity, while an angel and a demon battle in the sky. The artist was never in Italy and based the appearance of Pavia on that of Avignon.

Date

1497

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM23B21_494

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

47,3Mb (2,7Mb) / 11,1in x 16,5in / 3332 x 4960 (300dpi)

Keywords

Europe city portrait people health religious arts protection country French France religion art belief continent museum European color protected death medieval Christianity prayer praying deity God saint Santa location century protect plague burial protective disease burying priest concept santo corpse Colour background people mediaeval Middle Ages martyr 15th century fifteenth century martyrdom St St Sebastian Sebastian Saint Sebastien Saint Sebastian St Sebastien Josse Lieferinxe Master of Saint Sebastian Master of St Sebastian Lieferinxe Josse Lifferin Josse Oil on wood Walters Art Museum Heritage Art in prayer plague pit Burying the dead