The Legend of Saint Sebastian, the Queer Icon

• 23/05/2023
• 18:00-19:30
• Online talk

Bronzino, Saint Sebastian, via Wikimedia Commons

The Legend of Saint Sebastian, the Queer Icon

A Folklore Society online talk by

Eric Huang, of Saint Podcast

Tuesday 23 May 2023

Since the Renaissance, Saint Sebastian has been one of the most depicted saints in art. A 3rd-century Roman warrior (the captain of the Praetorian Guard) he was a closeted Christian who was famously shot full of arrows once he had been outed. It’s this image of a topless, trussed-up man riddled with arrows that linked the Christian figure in the Middle Ages to ancient pagan gods of disease, making him a protector against pandemics. And it’s this highly suggestive iconography that inspired artists from the 14th century onwards to transform a middle-aged Roman warrior into a barely-legal pin-up and queer icon.

Join us during the run-up to Pride month for the Legend of Saint Sebastian, the Queer Icon.

Eric Huang is the producer and host of Saint Podcast, a history and pop culture podcast that explore the lives of the saints through feminist and queer stories, Medieval lore, Gothic tales, art history, and pop culture. Eric has a degree in palaeontology and works in children’s publishing. He grew up in Los Angeles and lives in London.

Tickets £6.00 (£4.00 for Folklore Society members with Promo Code: log in to the Members Area to get the code) from https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-legend-of-saint-sebastian-the-queer-icon-tickets-536044402237

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