Saint Sebastian

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Lubomir Tomaszewski is a Polish-American sculptor, painter, and designer. He was a creator of the artistic concept called emotionalism, with a guiding principle of "less show, more content" (an answer to overly formalistic art of the 20th century).

Tomaszewski didn’t follow any of the old masters, because he wanted to create art like no one ever did; he would often use traditional themes and formulas known to evoke emotions. The sources of his rich imagination were, among others, Greek mythology and the Bible. The artist’s purpose was to create works that would affect the feelings of the viewers in many ways.

Tomaszewski represented Saint Sebastian as a young man with elongated proportions. The saint is pierced by a single arrow only, but the form of the sculpture conveys his martyrdom and brings out strong emotions. The surface of the metal is ragged and patinated to enhance the dramatic intensity of the scene.

For the old masters, depicting Saint Sebastian’s martyrdom was an opportunity to represent male beauty, and thanks to this the saint became an unofficial patron of gay people. The sculpture can be read in a social context, as a comparison between the suffering of the martyr and discrimination based on sexual orientation.

We present today's sculpture thanks to the Lubomir Tomaszewski Foundation.

P.S. Did you know that St. Sebastian is a gay icon? Get to know more here!