Study for "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (for the Augustinian monastery at Diessen, Germany)
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● On view now — 214 Central and Northern European
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · verified July 2026
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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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More by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
The Glorification of the Barbaro Family
Rinaldo and Armida in Her Garden
Armida Encounters the Sleeping Rinaldo
Rinaldo and the Magus of Ascalon
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Allegory of the Planets and Continents
Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and HyacinthMore like this
Guido Reni (Italian, 1575–1642) — Martyrdom of Saint Andrew
Pedro Orrente — The Crucifixion
Jusepe de Ribera (called Lo Spagnoletto) — The Martyrdom of 
Salvator Rosa — Polycrates' Crucifixion
Boetius Adams Bolswert — The Crucifixion (Coup de Lance)
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.
Jacob de Gheyn, II — Christ on the Cross between Two Thieves