Guido Reni (Attributed to) Italian (1575-1642) “Saint Sebas...

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Hammer

€2,500

Fees

Guido Reni (Attributed to) Italian (1575-1642)

“Saint Sebastian,” O.O.C., approx. 64cms x 76cms (25” x 30”). (1)

An intriguing work of art with a good provenance, this painting bears two inscriptions on the reverse, ‘Guido Reni 1618’ and, on the stretcher, in equally old lettering, ‘ Presented to the Ladies of the Ursuline Convent. Thos Deane 1825’. The stretcher also has an original label from Clarkes frame makers, of Grand Parade in Cork. Reading these, it is reasonable to assume that in 1825 the architect Thomas Deane presented this work to the nuns of the Ursuline Convent in Blackrock in Cork, holding it to be an original work by Guido Reni. Two centuries later, while art historians are more sceptical of such claims, there is no denying that even if it is a copy, this painting of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian preserves much of the vigour and quality characteristic of Reni’s work. Depicting the upper part of the saint’s head and upper body, is probably a fragment of a larger canvas. The surface has suffered damage, possibly in a fire. It is clear that the dark scumbled background is a later addition, an overpainting, beneath which may lie original details.

Even more than Raphael and Titian, Guido Reni’s work would have been familiar to nearly everyone in Ireland in 1825. While he often painted Classical subjects such as Venus and Cupid, Hercules, Polyphemus and Bacchus, it was mostly his images of biblical subjects, saints and martyrs, that were copied and widely reproduced. Paintings such as Ecce Homo and The Immaculate Conception, were standard images in books, while copies or engravings could be found in churches, convents and schools. When he had developed a successful composition, Reni often painted several versions, as with The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, where autograph or studio versions can be found in museums from Auckland in New Zealand to Genoa, and the Prado in Madrid. His paintings are well-conceived and beautifully realized. He excelled at painting male and female saints, often following the same formula, with eyes looking upwards, and hands either outstretched in a gesture of surrender, or pressed against the chest.

Dr. Peter Murray 2025