Saint Sebastian

Joseph Christ

Associated Names
Joseph Christ

Artist, German, 1732 - 1788

The image shows the upper body of a central figure in a classical pose. The person's head is turned slightly upward to the right. They have long, wavy hair, pronounced eyes, and elegant contours on their face. The figure is dressed in flowing garments with drapery and a decorative strap crossing their shoulders. They are holding long arrows and have a quiver on their back. A cherub with wings is nearby, extending an offering to the figure. A skeletal figure at the bottom left is also in the scene. The background features swirling clouds and elaborate frame-like structures.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    brush and black ink with gray wash over graphite, heightened with white, on laid paper and incised for transfer; the verso rubbed with red chalk

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 16.8 x 12.9 cm (6 5/8 x 5 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1997.74.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Christian Hammer [1818-1905], Stockholm, (Lugt 1238)[1]; private collection, Hannover; (Martin Moeller, Hamburg); purchased by NGA, 1997.
[1] See collector's mark on the drawing's mount.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

lower center in pen and brown ink: Victor.ana juid.11 / Deus noster. (upside down) / S. / Sebastianus / Martyr.; on old mount and by later hand: Joseph Christ v: Winterstetten sesste sich zu (settled himself in) Augsburg. F. 157. (see object folder for the inscription on the mount)

Watermarks

partial watermark, not identified

Wikidata ID

Q64591120

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