The Large Saint Sebastian
Medium
Woodcut in black on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 31.2 × 23.4 cm (12 5/16 × 9 1/4 in.)
Classification
prints and drawing
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
261904
Art Historical Context
Hans Baldung Grien'sThe Large Saint Sebastian*1514) is a striking woodcut print on cream laid paper, measuring 31.2 × 23.4 cm, housed in the Art Institute of's Prints and Drawings department Created during the Northern Renaissance, this monumental work showcases Baldung, a German artist and former pupil of Albrecht Dürer, at the height of his mastery in printmaking. Known for his bold, expressive style blending Gothic intensity with emerging Renaissance naturalism, Baldung infused his images with dramatic tension, erotic undertones, and a fascination with mortality—themes that set him apart fr...
About the Artist
Hans Baldung Grien
Hans Baldung, known by the nickname Grien, was born around 1484 or 1485 in Schwäbisch Gmünd, in the Swabia region of what is now Germany. He came from a distinguished academic family — his father Johann Baldung was a university-educated jurist who served as legal adviser to the bishop of Strasbourg — making Hans a notable exception as the first male in his family not to attend university, and one ...