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

The Study for "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (for the Augustinian monastery at Diessen, Germany) is a dynamic oil on canvas painting created by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in 1739. This preparatory work, or bozzetto, offers critical insight into the working methods of the preeminent master of 18th-century Italian painting. The piece exemplifies the vibrant, energetic style that characterized the late Baroque and Rococo periods, employing swift, visible brushstrokes to establish the composition, light sources, and dramatic tension.

The study was created in anticipation of a monumental altarpiece commissioned for the high altar of the Augustinian collegiate church of St. Georg in Diessen, Bavaria. Tiepolo was widely sought after for large-scale commissions across Europe, and the Diessen project demonstrates the international appeal of his dramatic religious iconography. The scene focuses on the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, traditionally shown tied to a post while archers prepare to shoot him. Tiepolo emphasizes the heroic posture and fervent expression of the saint, contrasting his suffering with the weighty, foreshortened figures of the executioners and accompanying soldiers positioned below.

The work is essential for understanding the transition from sketch to finished masterpiece, highlighting how Tiepolo managed complex multi-figure compositions. The resulting altarpiece, The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, cemented Tiepolo's reputation as a master of religious spectacle. This compelling canvas resides in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is often studied. Due to the historical significance of the artist and the importance of this work to European art history, high-quality prints and scholarly documentation of the composition are widely available.