Saint Paul Shipwrecked on the Island of Melita

Philips Galle after Stradanus · late 16th century
National Gallery of Art, Washington

This engraving belongs to a numbered series on the Acts of the Apostles, designed by the Flemish painter Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus, and engraved by Philips Galle. It is plate 34, with two Latin verses below.

Soaked survivors crowd round a fire on the shore. Paul, bending over the flames with a bundle of sticks, has a snake hanging from his hand, and the islanders stare. Behind, the ship breaks up in the surf, and in a house at the left Paul heals the father of Publius.

From the text

The ship breaking up and everyone brought safely to land (Acts 27:41–44)

The islanders kindling a fire “because it was raining and cold” (Acts 28:2)

Paul gathering “a bundle of sticks”, and a viper fastening on his hand (Acts 28:3)

Paul healing the father of Publius, sick in bed (Acts 28:8)

The artist’s own

Several moments of the story in one picture

A sailing ship of the 16th century

Paul with a halo and a long beard, as artists usually showed him

A canopied bed like those of a European house

Details

The viper

A thin snake hangs from Paul’s hand above the fire.

Sticks

Paul’s bundle of brushwood, held over the flames.

The wreck

The ship lies broken in the surf.

Brought ashore

A long line of survivors walks up from the beach.

Publius’ father

Inside a house, Paul stands by the bed of a sick old man.

Kindness

Islanders bring food in a basket.

Philips Galle, Netherlandish, 1537–1612, after Jan van der Straet (Stradanus), Flemish, 1523–1605. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1974.33.41) · 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 27:41–44But the vessel struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom. But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.

Acts 28:1–8Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand. When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man.