I mentioned that Sauniere had requested a copy of a painting from the Louvre.  This is what the Cadogan Guide has to say about the painting:

Interest in the Razes began in the 17th century, after a humble shepherd found a gold treasure in the area, but never revealed exactly where; there is some evidence that artist Nicholas Poussin used landmarks of the region (including the hill of Rennes-le-Chateau) in the background of his enigmatic painting Et in Arcadia Ego (1638-40), generally understood to mean death is present, even in idyllic Arcadia.  Or some say it is a rather juicier anagram: ‘l Tego Arcana Dei’ (‘Begone! I hide the Secrets of God!’).

At Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire there is a monument called ‘The Shepherd’s Monument’ that is based on the original painting:

The Shepherd’s Monument has long posed an enigma as people have tried and failed to crack the mysterious code which sits beneath the sculpted relief.  The code reads:

O. U. O. S. V. A. V. V.

D.                                        M.

Many have drawn on the family’s associations with free-thinking groups and societies at the time of the monument’s building and some repute it to lead to the Holy Grail.

The sculpted relief is based on the 1642 painting Et in Arcadia Ego by Nicolas Poussin – a work which in itself has attracted much speculation.  The Shugborough relief is a reversal of the original depiction with several key – and some would say deliberate – changes.  The work was carried out by Peter Scheemakers and designed by Thomas Wright.*