18th CENTURY FRENCH MINIATURE OF SAINT SEBASTIEN

A fine French mid 18th Century miniature depicting St Sebastian and framed by an intricate period paper cutout, within its original hand painted watercolour decorated mount, the whole in its original 18th Century gilt frame.

The frame has losses to both sides and loss to the bottom part of the mount.

It nonetheless remains a masterly work of beauty from the most artistic century in the history of art.

Height 57cm   Width 31cm

the miniature: height 16.5cm  width 10.5cm

Sebastian was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this did not kill him...