St. Sebastian
Medium
red chalk with pen and brown ink
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.173,"width":0.124}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Delia E. Holden Fund
Accession Number
1997.53
Tags
Latine and Hispanic Artistsmale
About this artwork
This subtly drawn study in red chalk with ink accents depicts the moment just before the Roman soldier Sebastian was shot through with arrows for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. The young martyr turns hopefully toward heaven as if comforted by divine light. Ribera favored the subject because it allowed him to study the expressive possibilities of the bound human figure. A number of related drawings by the artist from the same period treat similar themes of saints bound in punishment. A...