Saint Paul Speaking before King Agrippa (Acts 26)
1573
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over traces of black chalk
Dimensions
12-5/8 x 8-3/8 in. (32 x 21.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1963
Accession Number
63.75.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Saint Paul Speaking before King Agrippa (Acts26)*, a captivating 1573 drawing by Vasari, the Renaissancemath renowned for his vivid *Lives of the Artists* and his elegant Mannerist style. This scene captures a pivotal moment from the New's Book of Acts, where Apostle Paul boldly defends his faith and ministry before the Roman client king Agrippa II and his circle. Vasari, a key figure in 16th-century Italian art, masterfully conveys the drama of this trial through dynamic figures—Paul gesturing emphatically amid attentive kings and men—evoking the era's fascination with biblical histor...
About the Artist
Giorgio Vasari · 1511–1574
Vasari was a productive court artist and architect in Florence during the first half of the 16th century, with his primary patrons being Alessandro and Ippolito de' Medici, until 1537 with the death of Alessandro. However, he is most well known for his book "Le vite de' più eccellenti architetti, pittori, et scultori Italiani," which was first published in 1550, and once again in 1568 in an expand...