Saint Sebastian martyred five times
(2018)
Medium
stoneware, porcelain
Measurements
54.5 × 27.5 × 28.4 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Professor Barbara van Ernst AM, 2019
© Nicholas Smith
Gallery location
Level 2, NGV Australia
About this work
Saint Sebastian’s figure is fragmented, with portions of his idealised Classical form encircling a slumped vessel. The form of the vessel itself evokes the curves of a body, perhaps in pleasure or duress. There is tension in the work as the physical properties of the clay resist artist Nicholas Smith’s desire to create an idealised vase form. This tension reveals the artist’s conflicting desire for the saint and his apprehension towards traditions of Western religious imagery in the Australian context.