Conversion of St. Paul, 1509
Lucas Huygensz van Leydenexpand_more
Engravingexpand_more
Gift of Herschel V. Jones, 1926expand_more P.10,636
Not on Viewexpand_more
Lucas depicts Saul of Tarsus traveling to Damascus with his armed retinue with the intention of persecuting followers of Christ. On route, a light from heaven descended upon Saul who fell from his horse onto the ground. He heard a celestial voice asking: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me'" For three days, Saul was blinded and could neither eat nor drink. At Damascus, he converted to Christianity and was baptized. Like Lucas's engraving, Golgotha, the artist relegated the key scene of Saul's fall from his horse to the left middle-ground. He focused instead upon Saul's followers in exotic costumes who are not described in any significant detail in the scripture (Acts 9:1-9). The theme of sin and redemption reoccur in Lucas's prints. The breadth and scale of this engraving with its mountainous landscape were exceptional in the history of early 16th century printmaking and are a trademark of Lucas.
Details
- Title
- Conversion of St. Paul
- Artist Life
- c. 1490 - 1533
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.10,636
- Catalogue Raisonne
- H.107 iii/iv, 129; B.107, 394; V.116
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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