Martelaarschap van de H. Sebastiaan 1557 - 1564

This is Bartholomeus Spranger's rendering of 'The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian,' an etching in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Notice how the lines create a cross-hatching effect, giving shape to the tree and Sebastian's body. Horizontal lines in the background create an eerie flatness, pushing the figure forward, almost as if the foreground and background are competing for space. The body of Saint Sebastian hangs from a tree, which occupies the majority of the image, with his body twisted and contorted. The use of line is not merely descriptive; it’s expressive. The density of the lines conveys texture and depth, manipulating our perception and destabilizing our sense of space within the image. The composition, with its emphasis on form and line, invites reflection on the nature of suffering and the human form.