Saint Sebastian
Guido Reni, c. 1615-16Fine art reproduction on 200gsm matte paper. A5 to A1, plus 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36 inches.Crumbling plaster, an old wooden table, a bowl of fruit. Picture Reni's calm young saint in a kitchen like this, where the light moves across him all day.
Saint Sebastian by Guido Reni shows the young saint bound to a tree, his wrists tied above his head, two arrows in his side. Yet his face holds no pain. He looks up to heaven as if he has already left the wounds behind. Look closely at the sky. Reni painted it with lapis lazuli, a blue ground from a stone so costly patrons often paid for it separately. Notice the cloth at his hips, the only pure white in a painting of blue and shadow. Pale glowing skin against stormy blue, serene and sculptural.
Reni painted this version around 1615 to 1616. Sebastian was a Roman soldier who kept his Christian faith in secret. When he was found out, the emperor Diocletian ordered archers to shoot him. He survived, nursed back to health by Saint Irene, which is why painters show him alive. He became the patron saint of archers and a protector against plague. Reni returned to him again and again. This version hangs in the Palazzo Rosso, Genoa.
The look
Pale, glowing skin against deep blue sky and dark foliage, with a white cloth at the hips. Still, serene and quietly intense, with the calm of a museum gallery. Baroque wall art for a dark academia study, a reading room or a hallway.
Sizes
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8 x 8.3 in |
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 cm | 8.3 x 11.7 in |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 in |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 cm | 16.5 x 23.4 in |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 cm | 23.4 x 33.1 in |
| 12 x 16 in | 30.5 x 40.6 cm | 12 x 16 in |
| 18 x 24 in | 45.7 x 61 cm | 18 x 24 in |
| 24 x 36 in | 61 x 91.4 cm | 24 x 36 in |
Custom sizes on request. Inch sizes have a slightly different shape from A sizes, so the edges trim a little. Size guide
Frames and delivery
Choose a black, white or oak frame, or order the print unframed. It is printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada or Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees. Printing and delivery
Gifting
A meaningful gift for a confirmation, Saint Sebastian's feast day on 20 January or a new home. A saint for courage under trial.
More like this
For another saint, see Saint Francis by Federico Barocci in Portrait Paintings. For more devotion in paint, see Joan of Arc by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in Pre Raphaelite Art.
