Attributed to Francesco Furini

Attributed to FRANCESCO FURINI (Florence, 1603-1646)
"Saint Sebastian assisted by Saint Irene".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It presents restorations.
Measurements: 171,5 x 145,5 cm.
The work reveals a high pictorial quality, as much in the anatomical construction of the figures as in the refinement of the color and the subtlety of the luminous transitions. The treatment of the male nude, of extreme epidermal softness and delicate modeling, refers directly to the personal language of Francesco Furini, one of the most singular Florentine painters of the Seicento.
The composition closely coincides with that of Furini's famous canvas Benjamin and the Death of Rachel (Hilton Fine Art Collection), not only in the triangular arrangement of the figures, but also in the attitude of the bodies, the play of diagonals and the intimate relationship between the characters. Likewise, the presence of ornamental vessels of very similar typology reinforces the connection with recurring models of the artist and his circle. These compositional and formal affinities allow us to place the work solidly in the immediate environment of the master.
The theme of Saint Sebastian assisted by Saint Irene moves away from the traditional iconography of martyrdom to focus on the subsequent moment, when the saint is rescued after the torture. This intimate and compassionate approach was especially appreciated in the Baroque, allowing for an emotional and human reading of the martyr's suffering and a characteristic feature of the artist, whose religious paintings move away from the usual iconography in favor of more intimate scenes.
In keeping with Furini's sensibility, the religious episode is transformed here into a scene of intense sensual and affective charge. The body of Saint Sebastian, treated with exquisite morbidity, becomes the visual axis of the composition, while the female figures, with restrained and elegant gestures, participate actively in the action, establishing a delicate balance between spirituality and sensuality.
Formed in the most refined artistic environment of Medici Florence, Francesco Furini absorbed diverse influences that converge in this work. From his time in Rome and his contact with the circle of Manfredi comes his interest in naturalism and the tangible corporeality of the figures, while the coloring of Venetian resonances and the very delicate application of the sfumato, based on soft and cold glazes, respond to a fully personal sensitivity.
The elegant elongation of the figures, the importance given to drawing and the search for an ideal of refined beauty are linked to the Mannerist tradition, reinterpreted here with an emotional and sensual intensity typical of the Florentine Baroque. As in other known Saint Sebastianes by Furini, the features of the saint's face present a recurring typology, recognizable by their melancholic expression and idealized beauty.
This work is a significant example of the way in which Furini, or his closest circle, conceived religious painting as a space for aesthetic exploration of the human body and contained emotion. Its balance between formal refinement, sensory intensity and spiritual depth places the canvas among the most evocative creations of the seventeenth-century Florentine scene, and links it closely to one of the most complex and fascinating artists of his time.
Francesco Furini was an Italian painter trained in the artistic environment of the Medici court. He began his apprenticeship with his father, Filippo "Pippo Sciamerone", and completed it in the main Florentine workshops of the time, especially those of Cristofano Allori, Passignano and Bilivert. In 1619 he traveled to Rome, where he studied Antiquity and Raphael, and came into contact with Caravaggist naturalism through Manfredi.
Back in Florence, he worked on decorative commissions for the Medici, including the Medici Casino and the frescoes of the Pitti Palace, completed in 1642. He achieved great prestige for his biblical and mythological compositions.