The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian
1514
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1514
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This woodcut shows two men tied to a tree in an open field. One man is shot with arrows, his body slumped forward. The other man stands beside him, arms raised, looking upward. In the background, a small town sits on a hill. The artist used sharp lines to show the pain in the men’s faces and the rough bark of the tree. This style was common in woodcuts of the time. Next, look up woodcut to see how artists carved images into wood blocks.
