Saint Sebastian before 1910

Editor: This is Odilon Redon's "Saint Sebastian," a small watercolor work from the Harvard Art Museums. It's... strangely gentle, considering the subject is pierced with arrows. What should we make of that contrast? Curator: Well, consider the context of Redon's time. The late 19th century was fascinated with symbolism. Saint Sebastian was often depicted as a figure of resilience, and even homoerotic desire, particularly in artistic circles. Editor: Homoerotic desire? Curator: Yes. The pierced body became a visual trope through which artists explored unconventional aesthetics and questioned societal norms. It's not just about religious suffering. Editor: So Redon is using a familiar image to say something… subversive? Curator: Precisely. And the pastel palette softens the violence, perhaps highlighting the beauty and defiance inherent in challenging social conventions. Editor: That’s a completely different way of seeing this image. I never would have thought of that.