Saint Sebastian Succored by the Holy Women

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

National Gallery of Art

The painting shows a scene from a slightly elevated angle. At the bottom are three people; two women are tending to a man who appears to have long spears or arrows in him. The three people have yellow-toned skin, and the man is mostly nude except for a red cloth draped around his waist. The women wear blue and white cloths draped around their heads and shoulders over dark dresses. One of them holds a silver bowl, and the other pulls an arrow out of the man, who sits on a white cloth. They are at the edge of a dense forest. Trees tower above them on both sides. Beyond the trees is a distant hill, and distant people on horseback are walking along the ridge, facing away from us. The sky above is pale blue. At the top of the painting, surrounded by green leaves, are two flying cherubs gilded with yellow light. They point down to the three figures below. The brushwork in the painting is loose and expressive.