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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.
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