Saint Sebastian

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Artist Pavel Tchelitchew (American (born Russia), 1898–1957)

Title Saint Sebastian

Date Ca. 1930

Medium Black ink, brown wash, and and gouache on paper

Dimensions Sheet: 14 1/2 x 11 in. (36.8 x 27.9 cm)

Credit Line Estate of Joseph F. McCrindle, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 2009.21

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About this Work

Although metaphysical ideas are central to Pavel Tchelitchew's work, religious narratives are not. The likely explanation for this work rests in the artist's identification with the subject. Saint Sebastian had historically been revered as the patron saint of archers and victims of the plague, but beginning in the nineteenth century he took on a new role as the protector of men with homosexual inclinations. As an openly gay artist, Tchelitchew frequently depicted the beauty of the male form in his drawings--as a dancer, acrobat, sailor, or martyr.

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"Saint Sebastian | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=2009.21