Saint Sebastian, c. 1480-1490, Martin Schongauer, German, c. 1440/53–1491, 6 1/8 x 3 13/16 in. ( x cm) (image), Engraving, Germany, 15th-16th century, Saint Sebastian is said to have survived the Roman firing squad that shot him with arrows during Roman emperor Diocletian’s anti-Christian genocide, about 288 CE. In the 1400s, the subject offered artists a good excuse for showing the male physique. In Martin Schongauer’s rendering, the syncopated rhythms of Sebastian’s body and the gnarled tree to which he is bound are given free play against the open sky

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Size: 2363px × 3756px
Location:
Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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