The best thing about that article is that there gets to be a point where you’re like surely. Surely we can’t get sexier and less-martyr-y than this. And that point is about a 3rd of the way through the piece.
For my own amusement, I have included some even sluttier Sebastians found in the most cursory of Google searches:
A self portrait as St Sebastian, by Elisar von Kupffer - this remarkable Baltic German man had many artistic and literary talents, photography a mere minor string to his bow.
We have seen two beautiful nude studies photographed by Jean Reutlinger, now take a long look at his Photographic Self Portrait as Saint Sebastian, from 1913. There is always a poignancy to appreciating such old portraits of male beauty, knowing the models are long gone; this one almost heartbreakingly bittersweet as Reutlinger was to be lost in the First World War, one year later.
The Martyrdom of St Sebastian, by Oscar Rejlander circa 1867 - the earliest photographic representation of this saint in my collection, all three gathered here.
Saint Sebastian has taken on such iconic status in our era, it is fascinating to look back to what must surely be one of his first photographic depictions. An exquisitely beautiful young model, the expected saintly acceptance of his fate leaving his fine features unsullied by obvious pain or distress, indeed the upper half of the picture could be mistaken for glorious gorgeous erotica if we were not aware of the binding ropes and arrow wounds below.
Speaking of pro wrestling (as I am in the Superstar Shakeup live blog), Kurt Angle is the current general manager on Monday Night Raw, an Olympic gold medalist, and a Catholic.
When CM Punk (currently retired from wrestling) called Pope Benedict XVI “a Nazi” in 2013, Angle came to the Holy Father’s defense, albeit a rather earthy manner. I, for one, have no problem with Pope Benedict “whip[ping] Punk’s skinny ass.” I doubt His Holiness has any plans to do so, however.
look closer. don’t mistake tree trunk for Wyoming fencepost, saint for boy, though in the end, they died the same—beaten, blued, bloated & abandoned. but in this moment, hands bound over his head, eyes toward heaven, he’s still alive. shot through with light. throat exposed like a shepherd giving his life over to wolves.
- Derek Berry, martyrdom of saint sebastian after Guido Reni.
