The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian

Abstract

The painting in question was a gift that father Piotr Strzelichowski (1836-1903) received on 12 August, 1869, from Emilia née Szumlańska – wife of Konstanty Jaxa-Dobek (1806-1866) and owner of an estate in Paczółtowice, on the occasion of his First Holy Mass. Strzelichowski then transferred the painting to furnish the church in Paczółtowice. Nothing is known about the earlier history of the object or about its author. The subject of the painting as well as the pose and depiction of characters evoke the works of "the Caravaggisti", i.e. Baroque painters who continued or imitated the work of Caravaggio (1571-1610). However, the currently visible painting layer of the work is undoubtedly from the 19th century. Perhaps the older painting has been completely repainted or the composition from the 17th century has been repeated. Saint Sebastian is a Roman martyr killed by arrows during the reign of Emperor Diocletian.