Saint Sebastian and the Black Death.
The martyrdom of Saint Sebastian is one of the most enduring themes in Western religious art. The execution scene so often portrayed - with the Saint transfixed with arrows - is based on the legend about his life and death during the reign of the Roman emperor, Diocletian. However, it is the symbolic association of arrows with the Black Death - during the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance - which identifies Sebastian as the patron saint of plague victims. After more than four centuries of recurrent epidemics, the plague died out in Europe; but the image of St. Sebastian continued to inspire artists until the end of the 19th century.
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D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history*; D005060:Europe; D049690:History, Ancient; D049692:History, Early Modern 1451-1600; D049691:History, Medieval; D049711:History, Modern 1601-; D006708:Homicide / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history; D010930:Plague / Q000266:history*; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D018597:Saints / Q000266:history*; D012613:Sculpture / Q000266:history; D013561:Symbolism