Italian painter (probably active in Rome in the 17th century) St Sebastian being cared for by Irene and a servant Scenic depiction of the saint's legend in an evening landscape with St Sebastian tied to a tree, depicted as a beautiful, Adonis-like youth with an arrow pulled from his thigh; two angels with a martyr's palm and laurel wreath hover in the sky. Because of his commitment to Christianity, the Roman legionary Sebastian was to be executed by Numidian archers on the orders of Emperor Diocletian, but initially survived by a miracle. After being cared for by the pious Christian widow Irene and a servant, he regained his strength. However, as Sebastian professed his faith again, he was finally executed once more and thus finally martyred. St Sebastian became one of the most popular subjects in European Renaissance and Baroque painting, especially in Italy. The present monumental painting was probably created by a painter in Rome, influenced by Annibale Carracci and Caravaggio, whereby the figure of St Sebastian suggests a close study of human anatomy. Oil on canvas, double; 158.5 cm x 198.5 cm. Frame. Italian painter active 17th C., probably in Rome. Oil on canvas, relined.