The Conversion of Saint Paul
1554
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, with splatters of gray, green and pink paint over black chalk, squared in black chalk, on cream laid paper, with framing lines in pen and brown ink, laid down on secondary paper
Dimensions
18.2 × 26.7 cm (7 3/16 × 10 9/16 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
244912
Art Historical Context
Giorgio Vasari’s *The Conversion of Saint Paul* (1554) captures a pivotal biblical moment when Saul, struck by divine light on the road to Damascus, transforms into the apostle Paul. Created during the height of the Counter-Reformation, the drawing reflects the era’s emphasis on dramatic religious narratives designed to inspire faith and devotion. Vasari, the celebrated Tuscan painter, architect, and author of *Lives of the Artists*, often explored such dynamic subjects in both his paintings and preparatory works. This sheet reveals Vasari’s working process through its layered techniques: flu...
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...