Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599–1641) Near death after being tied to a tree and shot through with arrows, Saint Sebastian barely notices the angel helping to remove them. Anthony van Dyck painted the subject of Saint Sebastian many times, choosing various moments in the saint's story but never focusing on the one thing that most other artists emphasized: the saint's flesh punctured with arrows. Van Dyck's goal was to explore the subject's emotional possibilities, rather than the physical wounds. In this scene, the naked and defenseless Saint Sebastian is so consumed by suffering that he is practically unaware of the angel's assistance.
Using a monochromatic grisaille technique and thin paint, Van Dyck rapidly sketched in his composition, exploring the effect of light and shadow on Christ's torso and the angel's body. He painted this oil sketch in preparation for a painting that was probably never completed or is now lost. It combines the freshness, immediacy, and fluency of a drawing with the monumentality of a large painting. These qualities characterize the Flemish oil sketch, which Peter Paul Rubens first developed as an alternative to drawing and which Van Dyck, his most gifted pupil, soon adopted.
High Quality Wood Framed Print using museum quality paper and archival inks with a white border or with cut mat for a contemporary look. Comes with Acrylite glazing and hanging hardware. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
Stretched Canvas is stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed on heavy cotton poly matte finish canvas. Comes with mounting brackets. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
Giclee Prints are printed on 260gsm satin finish using the finest archival inks. Each print carries a white border around the perimeter. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
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Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea.
