Pietro PeruginoItalian, 1448–1523Saint Sebastian
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The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
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- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
The Florentine painter Perugino made drawings to record figural types and poses that could be repeated throughout his finished paintings. He used the elegant, graceful figure seen here, with its soft athletic body and upwardly turned gaze, in at least two paintings of the 3rd-century martyr Saint Sebastian (the related paintings are now in the collection of the Galleria degli Uffizi, and the Louvre). Sebastian was shot with arrows after being exposed as a Christian convert; he was particularly revered during the Renaissance as a protector against illness such as the plague. Portrayal of the saint required Perugino to express his knowledge of human anatomy, while evoking the gentle s-curve associated with classical sculpture. Drawn with metalpoint, a typical drawing medium in the 1400s, the reinforced lines along the contour of the figure indicate that it was probably used by the artist or by one of his many studio assistants to transfer the design to another sheet.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1958.411
In the catalog
Sources
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — Museum open access
Meanwhile, in the life of Pietro Perugino
The whole life1486–1499
Two studios: in Florence and in Perugia
Between 1486 and 1499 Perugino works mainly between Florence and Perugia, maintaining a studio in each city. In the 1480s and 1490s he is one of the most celebrated artists of Italy.
1491
The commission on the facade of Santa Maria del Fiore
Perugino takes part in the commission that reviews the designs for decorating the facade of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.
September 1493
Marriage to Chiara Fancelli and return to Florence
According to Vasari, Perugino returns to Florence in September 1493 to marry Chiara, daughter of the architect Luca Fancelli. That same year Florence again becomes his permanent home, although he continues to accept work elsewhere.
1494
Lorenzo di Credi paints Perugino's portrait
Lorenzo di Credi paints Perugino's portrait (now in the Uffizi) and places in it a scroll inscribed Timete Deum — 'Fear God'; this seems odd, as Vasari is the main source stating that Perugino had very little religion and openly doubted the immortality of the soul. Perugino himself had painted a portrait of Credi in 1488.
