That’s a good one for Armand, too! Yeah, he seems preternaturally chill considering he’s riddled with arrows…how does he not feel them??! (I mean yes he’s an illustration but still)

Sandro Botticelli: Saint Sebastian, 1474. 

With his martyrdom in progress, the young saint fixes the viewer with a firm, serene gaze. The facial expression, conveying belief in victory over Death, underscores the trust placed at the time in Saint Sebastian that he would protect people from the Bubonic plague.

[X]

There are many depictions of this subject, apparently! I really like Reni’s here.

Guido Reni’s Saint Sebastian, “probably one of the most famous, probably because the martyr’s placid expression conveys the idea that he’s already halfway in Heaven. [X] This looks more angelic to me, more like my headcanon of Armand. BTW, who shoots a guy in the armpit?? Gross. RUDE. Gross and rude.

^And I knew that looked familiar, the Reni version was used for the cover of Violin! Which I didn’t read… but I should, right? 

^[X] Similarly, here’s one by Andrea Mantegna. Who shoots a guy in the head like this??? Like, at first I thought it was one arrow going thru his face, but there are two arrows there, a forehead arrow and an under-the-chin arrow, it’s just awkward, gross, and rude.

^[X] Sculpture of Saint Sebastian by Antonio Giorgetti (1672). One of my faaaave fanfic writers used this re: their Lestat, and I hope they write more, as they’ve said they are trying to! But anyway, this reminds me of when Lestat was in a coma ;A;

There’s a painting that looks like this and they used it for the cover of Blood & Gold and I know I’m going to have to post about that.

Full shot of Botticelli’s St. Seb under the cut, cut for length.

^He doesn’t look like he’s in any pain at all, really. More like he’s really proud of himself. Very Armand. #CONCEAL DONT FEEL.