Getty Museum
The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian
Creator
Simon BeningFlemish Illuminator · 1483–1561
All works by this person →One of the most celebrated painters of Flanders in the 1500s, Simon Bening was hailed by Portuguese art critic Francisco da Hollanda as the greatest master of illumination in all of Europe. In addition to producing books for powerful aristocrats such as Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, Bening worked for a group of international royal patrons including Emperor Charles V and Don Fernando, the Infan
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1535–1540
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold paint, and ink
- Culture
- Flemish
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
This leaf from the Munich-Montserrat Hours depicts the first attempt to kill Saint Sebastian. The emperor Diocletian, who ordered the saint's execution, watches from horseback as his soldiers mercilessly shoot arrows at Sebastian. Although the saint miraculously survived the ordeal, he was eventually beaten to death. The saint's stance here--tied to a column and defenseless--purposefully recalls traditional images of Christ's flagellation, when Jesus was tied to a column and beaten. The detailed yet expansive landscape seen in the background was one of the hallmarks of Simon Bening's late style.
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