The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (Italian: Martirio di San Sebastiano or Italian: Saettatura di San Sebastiano), once part of the Saint Sebastian altarpiece, is a tempera on wood panel painting by Nicolò Semitecolo dated to 1367 on one panel.

When exactly these alterations were made is unknown, however, the notebook of the Sacresty from 1534,[2] which reports on a "Pala lignea Altaris Sti.

The last panel to resurface in the private market in 1978 was the Christ flanked by Mary and St. John, displayed at the Art Venitien en Suisse et au Liechtenstein exhibition.

[1] To better understand the iconographic choices, it is necessary to take into consideration the historical context of Padua in the second half of the 14th century, characterized by the transition from a communal form of government to seigneural rule by the Carrara's family, which caused political conflicts with other confining states and internal strife.

The already complicated political situation was worsened by waves of plague, which affected mostly the younger generation not yet immune to the disease, causing approximately 40,000 deaths in the city, a huge number.

[1] This specific historic moment could explain the choice to represent Saint Sebastian, regarded as a key protector from plague and other infectious diseases, on the reliquary.

The iconographic choice to represent a saint who suffered the same pain as Padua's population allowed the beholders to identify with someone who could protect and intercede for the city in such a difficult moment.