Master Arnt  The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian

This remarkable St Sebastian was made at the end of the 15th century in Kalkar (North Rhineland). Its sculptor was a certain Master Arnt. Sebastian's pose is elegant. His legs seem to be executing a dance movement, forming a sharp contrast to the cruel torture he is being subjected to: Sebastian has been tied up and is being pierced with arrows. Artists found St Sebastian a rewarding subject, as his punishment offered them an opportunity to depict a male nude.For another example of medieval sculpture and the origins of this collection, see the Virgin and Child.