# The Martyrdom of St Sebastian [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [VACCARO, Andrea]() - Date: 1601-1650 - Technique: Oil on canvas, 130 x 102 cm ## Commentary The Martyrdom of St Sebastian c.1640 Oil on canvas, 130 x 102 cm Private collection This painting narrates the moment preceding the martyrdom of St Sebastian, when on the orders of Diocletian he was tied to a stake in the middle of the military esplanade before serving as a live target for the Emperor's archers. As regards Vaccaro's training, the influence of Caravaggio was decisive, together with the personal interpretation of the latter by Ribera, who was in Naples from 1616 onwards – and both these artists were to leave their mark on Vaccaro's earliest work. The painter's artistic curiosity then shifted towards Guido Reni, Massimo Stanzione and the young Bernardo Cavallino. The present Martyrdom of St Sebastian comes at the intersection of these different artistic influences. ## Related artworks - [Assumption of the Virgin]() - [David with the Head of Goliath]() - [Martyrdom of St Bartholomew]() - [St Stephen Taken to His Martyrdom]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()