The Conversion of Saint Paul

Lucas van Leyden · 1509
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Lucas van Leyden engraved this large plate, 41 cm wide, in 1509. It is one of his most ambitious early prints, a whole procession winding through a rocky landscape.

Saul, blinded, walks in the middle with his head bowed, led by the hand. Around him ride and walk his companions with lances and horses. High up at the left, a beam of light falls from a cloud.

From the text

A light from heaven flashed around him (Acts 9:3)

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless (Acts 9:7)

He could not see a thing, so they led him by the hand into Damascus (Acts 9:8)

The artist’s own

A long train of soldiers, horses and hounds, like a lord’s hunting party

Costumes of Lucas’s day and Eastern turbans

Details

Saul

Blinded, head bowed, he is led by the hand.

The guide

A man in a patterned tunic leads him.

The light

A beam falls from a cloud.

Hounds

Hunting dogs on leashes.

Lucas van Leyden, Netherlandish, c. 1489/94–1533. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Rosenwald Collection, 1948.9.2) · Engraving · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

Acts 9:3–9As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.