St. Sebastian Raphael (1483-1520)

Description of Raphael Santi’s painting "Saint Sebastian

Renaissance paintings have long been considered classics. Raphael Santi is one of the most outstanding artists of the sixteenth century. He is one of the three most talented artists of all time, on a par with Leonardo da Vinci. Raphael was able to convey real life events, giving them magic and mystery.

The painting "Saint Sebastian" depicts the same Sebastian. He is considered a martyr who was shot with arrows and stoned to death by order of the Roman emperor. These events took place in the third century AD in Rome. The story has been the inspiration for many artists and writers. Sebastian was portrayed by Antonello da Messina and Giovanni Boltraffio. Raphael Santi was no exception.

The author of the painting did not show the tragic death of Sebastian. After all, many artists depicted Sebastian tied to a pole. And in his body stuck a few arrows. Raphael, on the other hand, simply painted a portrait of the young man with a halo, emphasizing his holiness. The young man has an oval face, his gaze lowered, his eyes looking slightly to the side. His cheeks are ruddy, his nose is straight and his lips are closed. He appears to be a modest and quiet man. Sebastian’s hair is shoulder-length, slightly wavy.

Many experts say that originally Raphael portrayed a young man with short hair. Sebastian is wearing a black and gold shirt and a scarlet cape over his shoulders. Many experts also disagree on this point. Some argue that the cape was originally a different color, and Raphael did not paint it at all. Others believe that the painting was not altered, and survived to this day as it was created. The background for the portrait is an ordinary landscape, a clear sky and green trees.

The canvas was painted in oil and has a small size of 45*36 centimeters. Today, the painting is in the Accademia Carrara, in Bergamo.