#history San Sebastian was a Roman military man, condemned to die assaulted for defending his faith. Saint Irene released him still alive and healed his wounds. He was a very popular saint, as he was credited with power to stop plague epidemics. Reni shows the beginning of his martyrdom, when the saint entrusts himself to God, with a strong light contrast between the figure and the landscape in the background, thus accentuating the drama of the scene. The choice of this moment also allows the artist to study the human body in the tension of a forced position that, despite the effort, manages to imbue with its characteristic classicism.

San Sebastian