Focus on this artwork and discuss the Interpretation.
Had this painting been truly intended for an institution dedicated to healing the sick and afflicted with plague or hidden church, it is interesting to see how Ter Brugghen constructs this composition for its audience. Dramatic lighting cast from the upper left corner of the painting and subtle use of iconography such as the tree in the background, symbolic of a crucifixion, delicately suggests the presence of God, perhaps observing the rescue from above. Further stylistic choices made by Ter Brugghen—such as the juxtaposition of the maid's hands and Sebastian's or the pallor of Sebastian's skin compared to the lively tones of the maid's—introduce themes of hope, strength and endurance in the face of despair, as well as alleviation to the afflicted whether in the form of recovery or entrance into heaven. Combining these themes in such a way that is exhibited in Ter Brugghen's Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene subtlety demonstrates clear consideration for its original intended destination: the plague afflicted, facing their impending mortality. Victims seeking relief and comfort would look upon Ter Brugghen's painting, finding likeness in Sebastian's sickly pallor as he is alleviated from affliction and perhaps encounter respite or be invoked to religious worship.
crucifixion hidden church Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene left Ter Brugghen plague