Saint Sebastian, ca. 1500 60 1/4 x 18 3/8 x 14 1/8 in. (153 x
46.8 x 35 cm) R. T. Miller, Jr. Fund and Mrs. F. F. Prentiss
Fund, 1961 Polychromed wood statues were extremely common in the
churches of Renaissance Italy, and the Oberlin Saint Sebastian
is a striking example of the type produced around 1500 in
Umbria. The nearly life-size work represents one of the most
venerated plague saints in premodern Italy. Painted sculptures
in wood, wax, and terra cotta were a standard component of
ecclesiastical decoration during the Renaissance; they could be
found in virtually every church in Italy. 1 These materials were
chosen not only because they were cheaper than marble and
bronze, and thus more humble and more appropriate for religious
settings, but also because their malleability permitted the
artist to make highly naturalistic and affective works. To
enhance the lifelike appearance of this image of Saint
Sebastian, the sculpture is pigmented in a natural fashion: the
skin is flesh-toned, the hair brown, and th