This is not the first time that we have written about the possibility of enjoying works of art from home in this pandemic period, with museums closed. It had previously happened for Rembrandt’s Night Watch, Leonardo’s drawings and Raphael’s Miracle of the Hanged Men. Now it is instead the turn of San Sebastiano di Raffaello , the last “effort” of Haltadefizione.

Magnification minimum left, maximum right magnification

Gianpietro Bonaldi (operational manager of the Accademia Carrara Bergamo) has declared “a museum must be curious and look for different opportunities to make its heritage available to a wide audience. Technology is an opportunity, a vehicle with which to venture into ever new journeys. In this case , the trip will allow you to enter into the most hidden details of a masterpiece of art such as the San Sebastiano, approaching the magic and genius of Raphael “.

The San Sebastian by Raphael in high definition

As in the case of the Miracle of the Hanged by the same author, also in this case has chosen the year of the 500th anniversary from the su to death (which fell in 2020) to allow users, even from home, to enjoy this work of art.

The collaboration was born between Haltadefinizione and the Accademia Carrara which allowed the realization of this image in high definition of the San Sebastiano di Raffaello , an early work in which the artist’s touch and Perugian influences can already be recognized.

L ‘work can be consulted on the website and thanks to the interface it is possible to enlarge even the smallest details to allow you to have an even more detailed view of the visit to the museum (even if the idea is not to replace the “classic” visits).

As explained by Haltadefinizione , when one thinks of ” acquisition of a work in high definition, as in the case of San Sebastiano di Raffaello , the reasons are d eu: you can help curators and restorers to monitor the state of conservation while users can also enjoy the art from home. It is therefore a question of helping art from different points of view (conservation and dissemination).

How can we note in the images, this representation of Raphael’s San Sebastiano is not the most usual. In fact, the saint is not undressed showing his chest with arrows but instead has an elegant dress with fine decorations and a face that shows placid sweetness. However, there is no lack of reference to martyrdom with the arrow held in the hands.

The painting arrived at the Carrara Academy in the distant 1866 and was part of a larger Lochis collection (with 240 valuable works). The work should be dated around 1503, subsequent to the Baronci Altarpiece (completed in 1501). Raffaello at that time was 20 years old and would have completed the Marriage of the Virgin.