Heilige Sebastiaan vastgebonden aan een boom 1611 - 1671

Simon François created this print of Saint Sebastian tied to a tree in the 17th century. The image reflects artistic conventions of the period, but also tells us something about the social role of religious imagery. Sebastian, a popular early Christian saint, was a Roman soldier martyred for his faith. He is typically depicted tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows. This image creates meaning through a combination of visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. François was French, so he would have produced this image in the context of the Catholic Reformation and its renewed emphasis on religious imagery. Prints like this played an important role in disseminating religious stories to a wider audience. To understand this print, we need to research not only the life of Saint Sebastian, but also the history of printmaking and the role of religious imagery in 17th-century France. By studying these sources, we can better understand the social and cultural context in which it was made and consumed.