St Sebastian
1596
oil
From the collection of Fitzwilliam Museum
1596
oil
From the collection of Fitzwilliam Museum
This painting depicts a young man, St Sebastian, standing in a dramatic pose. He is nude except for a purple cloth wrapped around his waist and has several arrows piercing his body. His right arm is raised above his head, and his left hand rests on a tree trunk behind him. In the background, a dark and cloudy sky dominates the scene, with a few trees visible on the left side. The overall mood of the painting is one of suffering and martyrdom. If you're interested in learning more about the artistic techniques used in this painting, you might want to look into chiaroscuro.
