Sebastiano 's adoption of chiaroscuro modelling systems and strongly directional lighting is, however,far from consistent, even in his rendering of the many heads and hands. The profile head of the kneeling Magdalen, whose head ought to be in shadow, is pale and brightly illuminated, for obvious dramatic and design purposes. Similarly, the fine idealised profile of Saint John the Evangelist, the young standing apostle on the left who gestures towards Christ and whose gospel is the source for the miracle, stands out from the swarthier heads around him. When it came to the painting of the many draperies,Sebastiano seems to have been equally prepared toabandon consistency of method, employing colour modelling techniques that he brought from Venice in combination with new approaches learnt in Rome.Account has to be taken of the ways in which someof the pigments have changed; nevertheless, it seems