This volume is the result of research which is still ongoing, and whose subject is an anonymous seventeenth-century painter linked to the Caravaggesque tradition, whom we decided to call “The Master of St. Sebastian”.
The quite extraordinary painting whose name he has taken instantly left a deep impression on us. Hence our desire to reconstruct its histo- ry in order to arrive at a convincing attribution. Although the painting is still in search of an author, the meticulous study of Tommaso Bor- gogelli – a specialist in Caravaggesque painting – has made it possible to circumscribe its creator’s sphere of origin and to relate his style to that of painters who were his peers thanks to many exceptional illustrations.
Our most heartfelt thanks go to Tommaso, and all our staff, for giving substance to a dream that we hope will soon find a worthy fulfilment.
Attilio Luigi Ametta Maurizio Nobile