▁no ▁trace ▁of ▁an ▁arrow . ▁The ▁arch ers ▁and ▁ar rows ▁begin ▁to ▁appear ▁by ▁ 1 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁ever ▁since ▁have ▁been ▁far ▁more ▁commonly ▁shown ▁than ▁the ▁actual ▁moment ▁of ▁his ▁death ▁by ▁club bing , ▁so ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁mis per ception ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁how ▁he ▁died . ▁ ▁As ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁potential ▁pl ague ▁vict ims ▁( a ▁connection ▁popular ized ▁by ▁the ▁Golden ▁Leg end ) ▁and ▁soldiers , ▁Sebastian ▁occupied ▁an ▁important ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁popular ▁medieval ▁mind . ▁He ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁frequently ▁dep icted ▁of ▁all ▁sain ts ▁by ▁Late ▁Goth ic ▁and ▁Renaissance ▁artists , ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁after ▁the ▁Black ▁Death . ▁The ▁opportunity ▁to ▁show ▁a ▁semi - n ude ▁young ▁male , ▁often ▁in ▁a ▁cont orted ▁pose , ▁also ▁made ▁Sebastian ▁a ▁favorite ▁subject . ▁His ▁shooting ▁with ▁ar rows ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁eng ra ving ▁by ▁the ▁Master ▁of ▁the ▁Play ing ▁C ards ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 4 3 0 s , ▁when ▁there ▁were ▁few ▁other ▁current ▁subjects ▁with ▁male ▁n udes ▁other ▁than ▁Christ . ▁Sebastian ▁appears ▁in ▁many ▁other ▁prints ▁and ▁paint ings , ▁although ▁this ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁popular ity ▁with ▁the ▁faithful . ▁Among ▁many ▁others , ▁B ott ic elli , ▁Per ug ino , ▁Tit ian , ▁Pol la iu olo , ▁Giovanni ▁Bell ini , ▁Gu ido ▁Ren i ▁( who ▁painted ▁the ▁subject ▁seven ▁times ),