● On view now — 214 Central and Northern European
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · verified August 2026
FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG
In 1739 a pair of monumental altarpieces by two Venetian painters (Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Giambattista Pittoni) were installed in a church in southern Germany, part of a carefully orchestrated decorative program that included architecture, painting, sculpture, and decorative stuccowork. This sketch is Tiepolo’s initial design for his altarpiece, submitted for approval before beginning the final work. With quick, assured brushstrokes, he represents the Christian martyr Sebastian bound to a tree and shot with arrows, flooded with radiant light to symbolize his devotion to his faith.
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Guido Reni (Italian, 1575–1642) — Martyrdom of Saint Andrew
Pedro Orrente — The Crucifixion
Jusepe de Ribera (called Lo Spagnoletto) — The Martyrdom of 
Caravaggio (Italian, 1571–1610) — The Crucifixion of Saint A
Hans Speckaert — The Crucifixion of Christ
Paul Decker the Younger — Christ Nailed on the Cross
Jusepe de Ribera (called Lo Spagnoletto) — The Martyrdom of 
Sebastiano Ricci (Italian, 1659–1734) — Christ and the Woman
Jusepe de Ribera (Spanish, 1591–1652) — The Martyrdom of St.
Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558–1617) — The Passion: The Flag
Ferdinand Pierre Joseph Ignace Delamonce — Martyrdom of St. 
Grégoire Huret — Christ on Raised on the Cross, from The Pas
