Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Devotional Statuette of Saint Sebastian
(Renaissance Europe )
Inexpensive, painted wooden statuettes of the Virgin or popular saints were made in large numbers to stimulate private devotion.
Sebastian was a Christian martyr of the 3rd century. According to legend, he was a Roman officer who refused to deny his Christian faith. In consequence, he was tied to a tree and shot full of arrows. When these wounds were not fatal, he was clubbed to death. Christians prayed to him for protection from wounds and illness, especially the plague. The crudeness of the carving would not affect the role of the statuette as an aide to devotion.
The stiffness and emaciation of the figure suggest that the carver was either German or influenced by German models.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Joachim Ferroni, Rome; Ferroni Sale, Galleria Sangiorgi, Rome, 1909, no. 46; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1909, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
Germany
(Place of Origin)
Belgium, Flanders (Place of Origin)
Measurements
15 3/16 x 4 3/4 x 2 11/16 in. (38.5 x 12 x 6.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
61.116