Saint Sebastian

This panel and its pair, dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, were part of the main altarpiece in the parish church of Saint Stephen in Aniés.

Saint Sebastian is depicted as a young nobleman dressed for hunting. The bow and arrows he carries in his hands symbolize his martyrdom, as he was shot down on the Field of Mars, on the orders of Emperor Diocletian.

The artistic techniques used by Juan de la Abadía el Viejo, who renders the subject superbly against a background of sumptuous cloth, can be seen in this work. The figure of Saint Sebastian, indolent and delicately seated on the left side of the bench, mirrors a similar figure in the Aniés altarpiece, albeit in reverse and on a smaller scale.