Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian

Antonio del Pollaiuolo's Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, painted around 1475 and now in the National Gallery, London, is a tour de force of anatomical painting. The six archers surrounding the bound saint display Pollaiuolo's celebrated mastery of the human body in action—significantly, the three archers on each side mirror each other, showing the same figure from front and back. The panoramic Arno valley landscape behind the figures is one of the most detailed topographic views in 15th-century Italian art.

Pollaiuolo demonstrates his unrivaled command of human anatomy in action, with the mirrored archers showcasing the same muscular body from complementary angles, while the vast Arno valley landscape recedes with careful atmospheric perspective.