Artwork
St Sebastian
St Sebastian is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Ludovico Carracci. It dates from 1596 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Overview
Ludovico Carracci, a Bolognese painter active in the late sixteenth century, executed a small‑scale work titled *St Sebastian* in 1596. The image was painted on a copper plate, a support favored for its smooth surface and capacity for fine detail. Today the piece belongs to the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents the martyr Saint Sebastian as a youthful, nearly nude figure, his torso draped only with a purple sash. Arrows pierce his flesh, while his right arm is lifted above his head and his left hand rests on a tree trunk, emphasizing both his physical suffering and steadfast resolve. The surrounding dark sky and sparse foliage reinforce the theme of endurance amid adversity.
Technique & Style
Carracci employs a heightened contrast of light and shadow, a chiaroscuro effect that models the figure’s musculature and accentuates the dramatic pose. The elongated proportions and intensified lighting align the work with the late Mannerist tendency toward expressive distortion, while the careful rendering of the copper surface allows for crisp lines and luminous color modulation.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of Carracci’s early Baroque period, the copper painting entered the Fitzwilliam Museum’s holdings in the twentieth century, though the exact path of acquisition remains undocumented in public records. Its presence in the museum’s collection reflects the institution’s broader interest in Italian works that bridge Mannerist and Baroque sensibilities.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ludovico (or Lodovico) Carracci ( kə-RAH-chee, UK also kə-RATCH-ee, Italian: ; 21 April 1555 – 13 November 1619) was an Italian early-Baroque painter, etcher, and printmaker from Bologna.
