Post Adolescent

Towards the end of the XV^th Century, one begins to encounter a younger portrayal. Sandro Botticelli's (1474) St. Sebastian (See: Figure 9) appears somewhat younger than the portrayal of Marco Zoppo (c. 1453) (See: Figure 4) or even Andrea Mantegna's (1459) (See: Figure 5) representation. Antonello da Messina's St. Sebastian (1476) (See: Figure 132) appears even younger still. By 1500 C.E. St. Sebastian is often shown as a youth--e.g., Andrea del Sarto (?) (c. 1523) (See: Figure 197), Benvenutto Tisi (Il Garafolo) (1526) (See: Figure 136), Agnolo di Cosimo (called il Bronzino) (c. 1550) (See: Figure 198) or Carlo Saraceni (1610) (See: Figure 48). In nearly every case the body is shown smooth, hairless with a mere hint of underlying, developing musculature. The youthful St. Sebastian is not Apollonian--i.e., fully developed muscles--nor can his physique be considered androgynous. There is one interesting representation of the martyr-saint that indicates an androgynous aspect--i.e., the Master of San Pellegrino's painting of the Madonna and Child with St. Roch and St. Sebastian (1476) (See: Figure 199). The Master of San Pellegrino paints the martyr-saint as possessing a rather narrow waist, soft flaring hips and a slightly protrubing abdomen that can only be described as feminine. Similarly, the painting of Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, the Madonna and Child with St. Roch, St. John the Baptist and Two Donors (1500) (See: Figure 54) not only gives the martyr-saint a similar abdominal quality, he portrays him with long flowing locks and a distinctly feminine face. But, most of the representations of St. Sebastian whether young or mature, present the martyr-saint, physiologically as a male.