Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Christopher and Sebastian

Fiorenzo di Lorenzo's Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Christopher and Sebastian, dated around 1511 and now at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, is a late work by this Perugian master who was among the formative influences on Perugino. Christopher, the giant who carried the Christ child across a river, and Sebastian, the soldier-martyr pierced by arrows, were among the most popular of the protective saints — Christopher guarded against sudden death, Sebastian against plague. The combination served the devotional needs of communities seeking supernatural protection. The Städel's collection of Italian Renaissance painting provides an important context for understanding the dissemination of Umbrian painting beyond Italy.

The sacra conversazione format places the enthroned Madonna and Child at center flanked by the two saints. Umbrian spatial clarity and the characteristic gentle color of the Perugian tradition are apparent. Sebastian's nude figure demonstrates Fiorenzo's ability to handle the male body within a devotional context.