- The “Mays” of Notre-Dame
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Saint Peter Healing the Sick with His Shadow
- The Conversion of saint Paul
- The Centurion Cornelius at the Feet of Saint Peter
- The Preaching of Saint Peter in Jerusalem
- The Crucifixion of Saint Peter
- The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew
- The Stoning of Saint Stephen
- The Predictions of the prophet Agabus to Saint Paul
- The Visitation
- Saint Thomas Aquinas, Fountain of Wisdom
Saint Paul
Saul of Tarsus was originally from Cilicia (present-day Turkey). An approver of Saint Stephen’s martyrdom, he converted to Christianity around 31 or 36 AD. Saul then became known as Paul, and later as Saint Paul. Considered an apostle of Christ, he was not one of the twelve disciples. A great traveler who preached his Christian faith, he was arrested in Jerusalem and died in Rome in 67 AD.
In the Scriptures
“Still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, Saul went to the high priest and asked for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank” (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 9, verses 1-9).
The Painting
To depict Saul’s sudden conversion, Laurent de La Hyre illustrates the moment when Christ appears to him in the sky and says, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Christ is shown in the sky at the top left. Paul, dressed as a Roman legionary, has been thrown to the ground and gazes up at Christ, blinded by the vision. A soldier tries to help him up while the intense light blinds his entourage. The composition is solidly structured with spirals and diagonal lines. The agitated poses of the figures bring dynamism to the scene. The strong expressiveness of emotions highlights the Baroque spirit. The dazzling light amidst a stormy sky accentuates the dramatic effect.
Laurent de La Hyre (1606-1656)
Laurent de La Hyre first received a commission for the Mays of Notre-Dame with “Saint Peter Healing the Sick with His Shadow” in 1635. Due to the success of this first work, he was commissioned again to depict “The Conversion of Saint Paul.” His fondness for landscape painting is evident in the lighting of the sky. The painting is located in the Sainte-Anne Chapel of Notre-Dame. A preparatory drawing of the painting is kept in the Department of Graphic Arts at the Louvre Museum.
