Hendrick ter Brugghen: Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene (1625)

(Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, USA)

A painting by the Dutch artist Hendrick ter Brugghen (1588-1629). This piece shows an episode in the life of saint Sebastian. According to the legends saint Sebastian was a Captain of the Praetorian Guard during the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian (A.D. 244-311) and Maximian (A.D. 250-310), who were unaware that he was a Christian. Sebastian at first concealed his faith but eventually it was discovered that he was a Christian. Emperor Diocletian ordered Sebastian to deny his faith but the saint refused and he was sentenced to death. Sebastian was bound to a stake and shot by arches who left him for dead. Saint Irene of Rome, widow of saint Castulus - the chamberlain of Emperor Diocletian, went to retrieve his body to bury it but she discovered he was still alive. She brought him back to her house and nursed him back to health. The saint was eventually beaten to death with cudgels, and his body thrown into the sewer. Another lady (saint Lucina of Rome) removed the body, and buried it in the catacombs at the entrance of the cemetery of Calixtus. The painting shows Irene tenderly helping the saint. She is holding his body with her left hand while trying to remove an arrow with her right hand. A servant of Irene is removing the rope of the right hand of the saint. An interesting detail is the red & gold cloak of the saint in the left corner. This cloak is a chasuble and features a pomegranate, the Christian symbol of the resurrection. Painting from 1625.