Portrait of a Youth as Saint Sebastianlate 1480s · Study 1986.9

Context from the museum

Sebastian, a bodyguard for the ancient Roman emperor Diocletian, was shot with arrows and was eventually drowned for his commitment to Christianity. While the arrow alludes to Saint Sebastian, the young man’s clothing dates to the late 1400s, indicating that this is a contemporary portrait, rather than an image of the historical saint. This haunting image was influenced by the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), particularly in the artist’s use of smoky shadows (called sfumato) to model the flesh. It was painted by Marco d’Oggiono, a Milanese artist who worked in Leonardo’s studio.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

While Marco d'Oggiono made numerous copies of the masterpieces of his teacher Leonardo da Vinci, this is an original composition.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Portrait of a Youth as Saint Sebastian is 24 cm wide and 30.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 9.4 × 12.0 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.79:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.07 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 8.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 138.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Portrait of a Youth as Saint Sebastian in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on wood, transferred to pressed wood, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 24 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?