St. Sebastian succoured by two angels

Saint Sebastian Succored by Two Angels at the Fitzwilliam Museum, painted in 1617, is a remarkably early work showing the seventeen-year-old Guercino already commanding religious narrative with impressive skill. Guercino's vivid early style, with its bold chiaroscuro and emotional immediacy, gave way after 1621 to a more classical manner influenced by the taste of Rome, creating two distinct bodies of work that represent the Baroque's competing impulses toward drama and order.

The early work shows bold chiaroscuro and energetic handling that anticipates Guercino's mature dramatic power. The angels' tender care contrasts with the violence of the arrows.