Saint Paul

Saint Paul was one of the founders of the Catholic Church, and his writings codified many of its doctrines. Both he and Saint Peter were said to have visited Emperor Constantine in his dreams, inspiring his conversion. Rubens’s companion painting of Saint Peter is displayed nearby. The pairing of these saints — also the namesakes of Rubens himself — therefore emphasizes the authority of the Church. His expression pensive, Paul holds the sword with which he was martyred. His cheeks are blotchy and flushed, and blue veins are visible at his temple. In the center, his beard occasions a passage of rapid brushwork that deploys a range of techniques. Colors are blended directly on the surface, creating a sense of softness and movement; paint is scraped away with the butt of a brush or another tool; and strokes of thick white impasto are interspersed with areas so thinly painted that the ground layer is left visible.