spurious sermon by St. Augustine. The saint, again tied to a classical arch, is observed from an unusual, low perspective, used by the artist to enhance the impression of solidity and dominance of his figure. The head and eyes turned toward Heaven confirm Sebastian's firmness in bearing the martyrdom. At his feet two iniquitous people (represented by a duo of archers) are shown: these are intended to create a contrast between the man of transcendent faith, and those who are only attracted by profane pleasures. Apart from the symbolism, the picture is characterized by Mantegna's accuracy in the depictions of ancient ruins, as well as the detail in realistic particulars such as the fig tree next to the column and the description of Sebastian's body. The St. Sebastian of Venice The third St. Sebastian by Mantegna was painted some years later (c. 1490 or even 1506), although some art historians date it to around the same time as the Triumphs of Caesar or even earlier due to the fake marble cornice, reminiscent of the painter's time in Padua. It is now in the Galleria Franchetti in Venice. It is quite different from the previous compositions, shows a marked pessimism. The grandiose, tortured figure of the saint is depicted before a neutral, shallow background in brown colour. The artist's intentions for the work are explained by a banderol spiralling around an extinguished candle, in the lower right corner. Here, in Latin, it is written: Nihil nisi divinum stabile est. Caetera fumus ("Nothing is stable except the divine. The rest is smoke"). The inscription may have been necessary because the theme of life's fleetingness was not usually associated with pictures of Sebastian. The "M" letter formed by the crossing arrows over the saint's legs could stand for Morte ("Death") or Mantegna. It can be identified as one of the works remaining in the artist's studio after his death in 1506. In the first half of the 16th century the work was in Pietro Bembo's house in Padua, where it was seen by Marcantonio Michiel. Via cardinal Bembo's heirs, in 1810, it was acquired by the anatomist and surgeon Antonio Scarpa for his collection in Pavia. On his death in 1832, the painting was inherited by his brother and then his nephew in Motta di Livenza (Treviso), where it remained until 1893, when it was acquired by Baron Giorgio Franchetti for the Ca'