An interesting variation is encountered and the quagmire of a woman in close proximity with the nude or semi-nude body of the martyr-saint is skirted by Giulio Cesare Procaccini. He portrays St. Sebastian being ministered to, not by St. Irene but by angels (1610-1620) (See: Figures 72, 111 & 128).

Even though Bartolomeo Schedoni’s composition (a. 1610) (See: Figure 234), indicates an older St. Irene, one cannot avoid the overt and apparent active curiosity of the younger maid who is drawn towards the exposed nether regions of the wounded and bound saint. Hendrich Terbrugghen’s St. Irene (1625), is shown craning her neck over the right shoulder of the slumped saint, ostensibly to view the arrow which she is tenderly removing. St. Sebastian leans against her with his legs spread. St. Irene, in the composition of Bernardo Strozzi (1631) (See: Figure 208), leans towards the still-tree-bound saint and gingerly pulls the arrow from his right thigh. The position of her head and the direction of her gaze is such that visually concentrating on her action would be neigh on to impossible. The elaborate wrap seems to be more interesting to her. The deeply shadowed composition of one of Caravaggio’s Maltese students, Domenico Cresti (Il Passignano) (b. 1665) (See: Figure 77), presents the wounded, nude martyr-saint, supported by a male figure, knees drawn up somewhat and tended by St. Irene. It is not altogether clear where her gaze is drawn or even that of her young hand maid. The curiosity of the attending female saint and/or her maid is also seen in: Nicolas Regnier (c. 1624) (See: Figure 235), and Antonio Bellucci (b. 1726) (See: Figure 96), among others.