Saint Sebastian (Rubens)
painting by Peter Paul Rubens in the Gemäldegalerie
Saint Sebastian is a painting of c. 1614 by Peter Paul Rubens, showing the Christian Saint Sebastian. It dates to the early years of Rubens's stay in Rome; its sinuous line and defined figures are thought to be the result of his studies of Michelangelo and of Flemish Mannerism. It was bought by the Borghese directly from Cardinal Neri Corsini in Brussels. It is now in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
In 1618, Rubens wrote a letter to the Englishman Sir Dudley Carleton describing a collection of his own paintings he had at his home which he wished to trade, including a painting of a naked Saint Sebastian. It is more likely than not that this is that painting.
The public source identifies “Saint Sebastian (Rubens)” as painting by Peter Paul Rubens in the Gemäldegalerie. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Saint, Sebastian and Rubens.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Saint Sebastian (Rubens)”, the useful work is to connect “painting by Peter Paul Rubens in the Gemäldegalerie” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q18688386. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1614 and 1618.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow Saint Sebastian (Rubens) primary sources, Saint Sebastian (Rubens) archive and Saint research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Saint Sebastian (Rubens)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.