Follower of Peter Paul Rubens, 17th century

Spanish school of the 17th century. Follower of PETER PAUL RUBENS (Siegen, Germany, 1577 - Antwerp, Belgium, 1640).
"The Conversion of St. Paul".
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 176 x 225 cm; 195 x 243 cm (frame).

In this work the painter constructs a wide and expressive scenography to present the theme of the conversion of St. Paul. It follows the compositional patterns of an engraving of the same subject by Pieter Paul Rubens. In this work we see the traditional representation of the conversion of St. Paul, with the rearing horse, in a magnificent representation that is both scenographic and naturalistic. In the upper central corner, Christ appears emerging among the clouds, surrounded by a golden light that blurs his features. It is also worth noting that just above St. Paul's face the Latin inscription: Domine quid me vis faes latin Lord, what would you have me do?
St. Paul was a Hellenized Jew of the Diaspora, born in Tarsus. He was therefore Jewish by ethnicity, Greek by culture and Roman by nationality. He received the name Saul, which he changed to Paul after his conversion. Born at the beginning of the first century, he studied in Jerusalem with Rabbi Gamaliel, who was known for his hatred of Christians. One day, when around the year 35 he was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus, he was dazzled by lightning and fell from his horse. Then he heard the voice of Jesus saying to him: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? As a result of this experience, the saint went abruptly from persecutor to zealot of Christianity. After curing the blindness of a Christian from Damascus, he began his life as a missionary, until he arrived in Jerusalem where he came into contact with Peter and the other apostles. In the Middle Ages numerous corporations were placed under his patronage, due to different aspects of his iconography, life and miracles. However, St. Paul was never a popular saint, which proves the relative poverty of his iconography. In fact, the role he occupies in art is out of proportion to his importance in the spread of Christianity. In early Christian art, his only attributes are a book or a scroll, and in the 13th century his emblem appears, the sword that was the instrument of his martyrdom.