Artwork

Die Heiligen Sebastian und Fabian

Die Heiligen Sebastian und Fabian, by Master of the Darmstadt Passion, unspecified, 1460
Die Heiligen Sebastian und Fabian, by Master of the Darmstadt Passion, unspecified, 1460

Die Heiligen Sebastian und Fabian is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Darmstadt Passion. It dates from 1460 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1460, this panel painting is attributed to the anonymous figure known as the Master of the Darmstadt Passion. It is part of the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. The work presents two standing saints, each bearing a spear and a bundle of arrows, set against a muted yellow wall adorned with a simple floral motif.

Subject & Meaning

The figures represent Saint Sebastian and Saint Fabian, both early Christian martyrs traditionally associated with arrows. Their halos identify them as holy, while the weapons they hold allude to the manner of their martyrdoms, emphasizing themes of steadfast faith and suffering.

Technique & Style

Executed in tempera on panel, the painting displays the restrained color palette typical of mid‑15th‑century Germanic art. The saints’ garments—green and red for the left figure, brown and red for the right—are rendered with modest modeling, and the background’s flat, yellowish wall with a faint floral pattern provides a subtle spatial cue without competing with the central icons.

History & Provenance

The work has been catalogued under the reference Q131586326 and has remained in the public domain since its acquisition by the Kunsthaus Zürich. Its attribution to the Master of the Darmstadt Passion links it to a body of devotional images produced in the Upper Rhine region during the late Gothic period.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Master of the Darmstadt Passion

Artist

Master of the Darmstadt Passion

This anonymous German painter around 1460 made altarpieces full of bright reds and blues, stiff figures, and tiny gold highlights.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Kunsthaus Zürich open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.