The veneration of Saint Sebastian, a Roman soldier who was persecuted and martyred twice for refusing to renounce his Christian faith, began in the 4th century and reached its peak during the 14th and 15th centuries, both in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Known for praying with and comforting lepers—who were socially ostracized at the time—he became a patron saint invoked against contagious and infectious diseases, with numerous legends linking him to the eradication of plague outbreaks.
His remarkable courage in publicly reaffirming his Christian faith before Emperor Diocletian, especially after surviving his first execution attempt, led to his adoption by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of resistance and a call for recognition within the Church.
Saint Sebastian has long served as an icon in artistic expression, especially in Renaissance painting, inspiring many artists.
This Indo-Portuguese ivory sculpture depicts him in his traditional pose, tied to a tree and used as a target for arrows—the holes for which are still visible.
This piece is part of the Fine Arts Management Unit of the Museum of Angra do Heroísmo and is on display in the long-term exhibition From the Land and the Sea… A History in the Atlantic.
