St. Sebastian

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool drawing today! It's called "St. Sebastian," and it's by a super talented artist named Jusepe de Ribera. He was from Spain, a long, long time ago! nn (Pause for questions and allow children to respond.) nn

This drawing shows a man named St. Sebastian. He's tied to a tree. Can you see him? He looks a little sad, doesn't he? He's tied to the tree because people didn't like his beliefs. It was a long time ago, and people sometimes hurt others because of their beliefs. But St. Sebastian was very brave. nn (Pause for questions and allow children to respond. Encourage them to point out details in the drawing.) nn

The artist used only red chalk to make this drawing. That's like a special kind of crayon! See how some parts are dark red, and some parts are light red? He used the crayon in different ways to make the drawing look three-dimensional, like it pops out! It's amazing how he made the tree trunk look rough and the man's skin look smooth, all with just one color! What do you think he did to make the shadows so dark? nn (Pause for questions and allow children to respond. Encourage observation of the shading techniques.) nn

The tree is right in the middle of the drawing. It's important! It shows how St. Sebastian is connected to nature, even though he's suffering. The artist wanted us to think about St. Sebastian's feelings and his strength. What do you think St. Sebastian is feeling? What makes you think that? nn (Pause for questions and allow children to respond. Encourage discussion of emotions and interpretation.) nn

This drawing is very old, and we don't know exactly when it was made. But it's still powerful and beautiful, isn't it? It makes us think about important things like bravery, faith, and even how artists can use just one color to create something so amazing! What's your favorite part of the drawing? nn (Pause for questions and allow children to respond. Conclude with a thank you and an invitation to explore other artworks.) nn Thank you for looking at this drawing with me! I hope you enjoyed learning about St. Sebastian and the amazing artist who drew him. Now, let's go see some more amazing art!