Saint Sebastian

Marco d'Oggiono's Saint Sebastian presents the Roman soldier-martyr in the standard pose of his devotional type — bound and pierced by arrows — in the Leonardesque tradition that defines this Milanese painter's entire output. Sebastian was invoked as a protector against plague, and his images were produced in enormous numbers across Catholic Europe. Marco's version demonstrates how thoroughly Leonardo's influence was absorbed by his Milanese pupils: the soft flesh modeling, the gentle facial expression, and the careful anatomical observation all reflect the master's teaching. The landscape background shows the atmospheric depth characteristic of the Milanese school's version of sfumato technique.

The devotional composition is rendered with attention to the expressive and contemplative qualities that served the painting's function as an aid to prayer and meditation.