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Saint Sebastian on the tree
Hand-painted oil reproduction from $181 18 × 55 cm
Same size as the original $198 23 × 69 cm Order at original size →
Saint Sebastian on the tree (1460) is the most famous painting by Master E. S., held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Saint Antony Abbot (1460) and Madonna with Angel Giving Roses (1468) are the next two works the world knows best. From the 4 works of Master E. S. in our catalogue, here are the 4 that collectors and museum visitors look at most, with the year, the museum and the story of each.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated November 2026. Every masterpiece on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, at the size you choose.
The Berlin museum owns the only existing print of this small-format, historically hand-coloured engraving by the Master E. S., which shows the mother of God with the baby Jesus; both of them appear to the viewer in a fully mortal, almost intimate form. The brocade curtain behind Mary is a traditional honorific motif. The chapel space symbolically refers to the idea of Mary as the Church, the house in which…
The 3 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Master E. S. | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rijksmuseum |
Amsterdam | 2 | Saint Sebastian on the tree, Saint Antony Abbot |
 Kupferstich-Kabinett |
London | 1 | Madonna with Angel Giving Roses |
 Kupferstichkabinett |
Berlin | 1 | Madonna and Child |
1460 is the year of every dated Master E. S. masterpiece on this page: here they are, in order of fame.
Saint Sebastian on the tree (1460), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Next come Saint Antony Abbot (1460) and Madonna with Angel Giving Roses (1468).
40 years old: Saint Sebastian on the tree dates from 1460 and Master E. S. was born in 1420.
Our catalogue lists 4 works by Master E. S..
Most of them are in Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), Kupferstich-Kabinett (London) and Kupferstichkabinett (Berlin). The table above lists the museums one by one.
In 1460: 2 of the 4 works on this page date from then, among them Saint Sebastian on the tree.
Saint Sebastian on the tree and Saint Antony Abbot are among the 2 works on this page held by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, in the size you choose, from the painting's own page.
In the shadowy corridors of late Gothic art history, few figures possess the haunting allure of Master E. S. An unidentified German engraver, goldsmith, and printmaker, this elusive creator left behind a trail of exquisite marks that continue to captivate scholars and art lovers alike. Though his true identity remains shrouded in mystery, his presence is felt through the enigmatic monogram E. S., which adorns eighteen of his most significant prints. This distinctive signature suggests a revolutionary spirit—a pioneer who was likely the first printmaker to claim his work with such personal branding, signaling a profound shift toward the individualistic expression that would eventually define the Renaissance.
Active primarily between 1450 and 1467, the artist emerged during a transformative era in Europe. While his exact origins are debated, stylistic evidence points toward southwestern Germany or Switzerland, with much of his most influential work centered in the Upper Rhine region. There is a strong scholarly consensus that his foundational training lay not in the fluid strokes of a painter, but in the precise, disciplined world of the goldsmith. This metallurgical background is etched into every line he produced; his prints often exhibit a structural rigor and a meticulous attention to detail that mirror the delicate work of metal engraving. He even utilized goldsmith punches to create intricate patterns within his compositions, bridging the gap between decorative craft and fine art.
The true genius of Master E. S. lies in his mastery of the burin, through which he transformed simple copper plates into windows of profound depth and texture. Before the arrival of later masters like Martin Schongauer, this artist was already pushing the boundaries of what printmaking could achieve. He moved beyond the flat, decorative aesthetics of his contemporaries to embrace a complex language of hatching and cross-hatching. This technique allowed him to simulate the weight of heavy drapery, the soft curvature of human anatomy, and the dramatic interplay of light and shadow, creating a sense of three-dimensional realism that was unprecedented in German engraving.
His oeuvre, comprising approximately sixty known prints, serves as a testament to his technical prowess and narrative ambition. His works often feature deeply emotive biblical scenes and striking portraits that resonate with a quiet, intense gravity. Some of his most celebrated achievements include:
The historical importance of Master E. S. cannot be overstated. He acted as a vital bridge between the late Gothic tradition and the burgeoning humanism of the Renaissance. By elevating the medium of printmaking from a secondary craft to a primary vehicle for artistic innovation, he laid the groundwork for the great German printmakers who followed him. His ability to disseminate complex imagery across borders through reproducible prints meant that his stylistic innovations—his specific way of rendering light and volume—could influence artists far beyond the Rhine.
Though we may never know the name behind the initials, the impact of his hand remains indelible. He was a master of transition, an artist who took the rigid precision of the goldsmith's workshop and infused it with the expressive potential of the fine arts. In every meticulously engraved line, we find the heartbeat of a creator who helped redefine the visual language of Europe, ensuring that while his identity might be lost to time, his artistic vision would endure for centuries.