St. Sebastian and St. Roch

In numerous paintings and prints, from the XV^th through the XVII^th Centuries, when St. Sebastian is depicted, he is often shown in the company of St. Roch (aka St. Racho, St. Roc, St. Rocco, St. Rochus, St. Rock, St. Rollux, St. Roque) as has been mentioned above. The pairing of the two is interesting, and in many ways appropriate. Both St. Sebastian and St. Roch were venerated by laity long before they were officially canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Both of the saints came from apparently well placed families, certainly neither peasant stock nor the offspring of shop owners. Both of the saints were adopted as patron saints of pestilence, particularly the "Black Death." Both saints died in their early maturity--i.e., neither in their youth nor their advanced age. Both St. Sebastian and St. Roch were particularly appealing to the lower echelons of society before they were venerated by all levels. And, finally, the iconography of both St. Sebastian and St. Roch held incipient erotic content that was later to be exploited, particularly in the case of St. Sebastian.

St. Roch was born around 1295 of a wealthy family that may be viewed as being from the lower levels of the aristocracy. St. Roch was raised in comfort bordering on luxury for the time. His father had been the hereditary governor of Montpelier and would have been considered as a minor member of the aristocracy. At around the age of twenty St. Roch's parents died.

Becoming aware of the transitory nature of the corporeal, St. Roch gave his riches to the poor. There are seen to be some parallels between Prince Siddhartha Gautama and St. Roch's giving up his worldly riches and becoming a mendicant. Leaving all worldly things behind him as he set out on a pilgrimage to Rome. An uncle assumed the vacant governorship, keeping it in the family. While in Italy he encountered the plague and nursed many of the sufferers back to health. Some say that a number of cures that he was associated with were miraculous. He is said to have travelled to Aquapendente, Cesena, Mantua, Modena and Parma ministering to and healing plague victims in a miraculous manner. One day, a telltale lesion appeared on his thigh while he was ministering in Piacenza. So as not to infect others, he retired to the forest, isolating himself in a hut. While there, a dog befriended him. It regularly brought him bread from its masters table. This in itself is seen as miraculous. St. Roch survived the isolation and the plague. Another tale recounts that he was cared for by a local gentleman named Gothard. Later, he returned to his home province still incognito as a mendicant. There he was arrested, condemned as a spy and languished in prison where he died. It was only after his death that his identity discovered.

The plague reappeared in Constance, 1414, during the momentous ecumenical Council of Constance. Prayers were offered by the fearful assembled to St. Roch and the pestilence quickly subsided. Soon after St. Roch became favored by the peasants and lower echelons of society and venerated as a patron against the plague. He was not canonized by the Church until well over a century after his death by Urban VIII in the XVII^th Century. Like St. Sebastian, his popularity grew during that period of the XV^th-XVII^th Centuries. He became the patron saint against cholera, all manner of epidemics, knee problems, the plague, skin diseases and rashes, of bachelors, diseased cattle, dogs, dog lovers, falsely accused people, prisoners, invalids, surgeons and tile makers, as well as a number of cities and cemeteries. After the diminution of the plague in Constance, his remains were then transported to Venice where the are now said to be found.

The iconography of St. Roch frequently includes the dog who sustained him during his illness in the woods and generally a lesion on his thigh which is prominently indicated--e.g., an Anonymous French Manuscript Master (c. 1300) (See: Figure 238). This sore refers to his contraction of the plague, the "Black Death" and subsequent self exile into the forest near Piacenza. It is noteworthy that the lesion is always found on the inner thigh, well up from the knee towards the groin. It is often painted not as a dark spot or sore, but a wound, resembling an incision as is seen in Carlo Crivelli's St Roch of 1493 (See: Figure 239). Generally the St. Roch is shown with a somewhat muscular, well developed thigh thrust forward as indicated in Jacopo Negretti aka Palma il Vecchio's St. Giacomo Polyptych lower right (1515) (See: Figure 240). The saint's thigh is either protruding through the folds of his garment or laid bare by his stocking which has sometimes fallen down 'round his ankle or completely missing--e.g. Paolo Moraldo Cavazolla aka Paolo Moraldo's St Roch (1518) (See: Figure 241). In addition, the fact that his stocking are shown pushed down around the knee or sometimes to the ankle, increases the erotic implication. Often times his hand, usually his right is pointing and is so placed as to bring attention to the lesion. A modern adaptation of St. Roch was painted by the French artist Alfred Courmes, c. 1935 (See: Figure 242). In this last example the erotic implication is fully realized.