The Conversion of Saint Paul
ca. 1587–89
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, heightened with white gouache and cream color oil paint, over black chalk, on paper toned with light brown wash
Dimensions
sheet: 22 3/8 x 13 5/8 in. (56.8 x 34.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Rogers Fund and Gift of Dr. Mortimer D. Sackler, Theresa Sackler and Family, 2002
Accession Number
2002.33
Tags
Art Historical Context
Ludovico Carracci’s dynamic drawing captures the dramatic moment of Saint Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, as described in the New Testament. Created around 1587–89 in Bologna, this work reflects the artist’s pivotal role in shifting Italian art away from the artificial elegance of Mannerism toward greater naturalism and emotional intensity—a reform that helped lay the groundwork for Baroque painting. Alongside his cousins Annibale and Agostino, Ludovico helped establish the influential Bolognese school, emphasizing lifelike figures and clear storytelling in religious subjects. The ...