A representation of the first martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, a third-century Roman officer under Emperor Diocletian whose own colleagues shot him with arrows as punishment for professing Christian faith. Saint Irene freed him while he was still alive and cured his wounds. He was a very popular saint as he was said to have the power to stop epidemics of the plague.

The composition of this scene clearly shows the influence of Venetian and Flemish painting on Spanish Baroque painters, especially the rich use of color as a vehicle for expression.

This work was at the Convent of the Nuns of Vallecas, in Madrid.