Saint Sebastian

About this work

This woodcut shows a man tied to a tree, covered in arrows. His body is twisted, and his face looks up in pain. Around him, small figures—some human, some like demons—crowd close, watching or reaching toward him. The background is dark and tangled, full of rough lines and shadows. The man’s pose and the arrows suggest he’s Saint Sebastian, a figure often shown this way. The artist packed lots of movement into the scene, using sharp lines to show both the arrows and the chaotic crowd. Next, look up woodcut to see how this printing technique works.