St Sebastian
Relief
1680-1720 (made)
1680-1720 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The dense grain of a hardwood allows subtle carving and a high polish. In a relief the image stands out against a background that has been cut away. The depths and angles at which the wood is carved determine the play of light and shadow in the relief. In Italy St Sebastian was bound to a column, but in northern Europe he was shown with a tree symbolising the Tree of Life. In many depictions he was pierced with arrows to evoke his first, miraculous escape from execution, but here the arrows are not shown.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | St Sebastian (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Hornbeam |
| Brief description | St Sebastian, hornbeam relief, Southern Germany, ca. 1680-1720 |
| Physical description | Relief, limewood, St Sebastian. The Saint is shown dead lying loosely against the trunk of a tree his body supported from his left arm which is tied to a projecting branch. The legs bent at the knee rest on the ground to the left. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Given by Mr Louis Cutbill. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | The dense grain of a hardwood allows subtle carving and a high polish. In a relief the image stands out against a background that has been cut away. The depths and angles at which the wood is carved determine the play of light and shadow in the relief. In Italy St Sebastian was bound to a column, but in northern Europe he was shown with a tree symbolising the Tree of Life. In many depictions he was pierced with arrows to evoke his first, miraculous escape from execution, but here the arrows are not shown. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.10-1933 |
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| Record created | April 21, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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