Study for "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (for the Augustinian monastery at Diessen, Germany)

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Study for "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (for the Augustinian monastery at Diessen, Germany) as painting (Italy · 1739).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

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

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

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A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696–1770).

The museum's collection notes: 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.

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtStudy for "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (for the Augustinian monastery at Diessen, Germany)

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