Saint Sebastian

The painting "Saint Sebastian" by Perugino, created in 1478, depicts the early Christian saint who was martyred around 288 AD during the Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. According to legend, Sebastian was a Roman soldier who was ordered to be killed by arrows. Though left for dead, he survived and was later beaten to death.1

Perugino's fresco, located in Cerqueto, near Perugia, is a typical example of his style. It showcases his compositional clarity and sense of spaciousness, characteristic of the High Renaissance. Saint Sebastian is often depicted as a handsome youth pierced by arrows, a common theme for Renaissance artists. Sebastian is a patron saint of archers and athletes and is invoked for protection against the plague.12