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The Martyrdom of St Sebastian

Panel
second half 15th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Florence (made)

Relief has arched top. In the centre St. Sebastian tied to a column rising from a classical tripod base. His body is pierced by four arrows, and his head is turned in right profile. To the right is an archer with back turned, taking aim with his raised bow, and behind is a more distant archer in right profile. On the extreme right two women appear in an archway. In the corresponding archway on the left is a soldier with a shield. The relief is slightly concave and is recessed inside a flat border.

Object details

Categories
Christianity
Sculpture
Religion
Object type
Panel
TitleThe Martyrdom of St Sebastian (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Marble carved in low relief with traces of gilding
Marble
Low Relief
Carving
Gilding
Brief description
Panel relief, marble, the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, possibly Florence, second half 15th century
Physical description
Relief has arched top. In the centre St. Sebastian tied to a column rising from a classical tripod base. His body is pierced by four arrows, and his head is turned in right profile. To the right is an archer with back turned, taking aim with his raised bow, and behind is a more distant archer in right profile. On the extreme right two women appear in an archway. In the corresponding archway on the left is a soldier with a shield. The relief is slightly concave and is recessed inside a flat border.
Dimensions
  • Height: 24.3cm
  • Width: 19.5cm
Object history
Purchased in Paris for £2 8s.
Subjects depicted
Bow
Women
Archer
Archway
Arrow
Soldier
Column
St. Sebastian
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1864 In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 53
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p. 70
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, pp. 202, 203
  • Negri Arnoldi, Franceso, 'Scultura Italiana al Victoria and Albert Museum I&II. In: Commentari, anno XXI, June-July 1970. Fascicoli, pp. 212-213
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
362-1864

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Record createdNovember 6, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O171782/the-martyrdom-of-st-sebastian-panel-unknown/
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