2-739-597 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Saint Sebastian, 1620s or later. This composition is the subject of an ongoing attribution debate. The design is adapted from a painting by Adam Elsheimer, a German artist working Rome. This sculptural model exists in many versions; however, they vary considerably in their execution, complicating the identification, because they were clearly not made by a single sculptor or workshop. However, Georg Petel probably first created the design as he traveled across Italy in 1620-24, where his portrait was painted holding this composition.