St Sebastian by Liberale Da Verona Napkin

A solemn and spiritually charged depiction of the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, the Roman soldier who became one of the most enduring symbols of Christian courage. According to early sources such as the Depositio martyrum (354 AD) and the writings attributed to Saint Ambrose, Sebastian served in the imperial guard under Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, secretly supporting imprisoned Christians and strengthening them in faith. When his beliefs were discovered, he was condemned to be tied to a stake and shot with arrows, left for dead by his executioners. Miraculously surviving, he later confronted the emperor again, boldly denouncing the persecution of Christians. This act led to his second and final martyrdom, recorded in early Christian tradition and affirmed by later hagiographers. The image of Sebastian—calm, upright, pierced yet serene—became a universal emblem of resilience, purity, and the triumph of the soul over violence. Ideal for sacred art prints, devotional designs, museum‑style reproductions, and educational materials on early Christian history.