The Conversion of Saint Paul by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is a theme treated in two different works, both painted around 1600-1601. These works depict the moment when Saul of Tarsus, the future Saint Paul, undergoes a divine conversion on the road to Damascus.
Cerasi Chapel version (1601) This version, in the Cerasi Chapel of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, is more restrained and focused on Saul, who lies on the ground with his arms open, as if welcoming the divine light. The horse, now calm, is being led away. The composition is pared down, with chiaroscuro emphasising the figure of Saul and his state of spiritual ecstasy.
The work was commissioned by Monsignor Tiberio Cerasi, but the first version was rejected and replaced by the second, which is now in the Cerasi Chapel. The reason for the rejection is still debated among art historians, with some theories suggesting that Caravaggio may have wanted to improve his work in order to compete with other artworks in the chapel.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in) With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in) Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
How an Amalfi art print is made, what the frame is like, what museum glass is, how long shipping takes, and how returns work: we’ve gathered all the answers on a single page.
