Saint Sebastian
1450
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
Saint Sebastian is a 1450 by Unknown, held at Statens Museum for Kunst.
This painting shows a half-naked man standing sideways, his arms tied behind his back with ropes. His chest has red marks like wounds, and he’s wearing a pink cloth around his waist. The background has a simple landscape with hills and a sky, framed by a dark, arched border. The figure looks calm despite the wounds, which makes the scene feel strange. The way light hits his body makes the shadows deep and the skin look textured. Next, look up *chiaroscuro* to see how this lighting trick works.
