Muse among the Drafts: Part I

Saint Sebastian by Sandro Botticelli is the first superlative nude in the history of Western painting.1 No male figure in art could be said to be more beautiful than Botticelli’s saint. His beauty is haunting—which is to say, he is more than beautiful. An artwork may be supremely beautiful and utterly forgettable. What is it about this painting that is haunting?