Die Heiligen Sebastian und Fabian

Saints Sebastian and Fabian were paired in the liturgical calendar — both feast days fall on January 20 — making them natural companions in altarpiece programs and church dedications throughout medieval and early modern Europe. Sebastian's role as intercessor against plague gave him particular urgency in the late medieval period, when epidemic disease repeatedly devastated German cities. The Master of the Small Passion's panel would have served a specific devotional function tied to plague protection, either in a church dedicated to these saints or in a private context where fear of epidemic motivated the commission.

Sebastian is typically shown bound to a tree or column pierced by arrows, while Fabian appears in papal vestments — the contrast between martyred flesh and ecclesiastical authority gives the pairing visual interest. The small format demands that attributes be clearly legible despite the scale constraints.