THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL

Michelangelo Merisi, Caravaggio

Who commisioned this painting?

The conversion of St. Paul was painted by Caravaggio in 1601. Monsignor Tiberio Cerasi

commissioned this painting and also the Crucifixion of St. Peter in September in 1600. The

original versions of those paintings were rejected, and the paintings which are now in the

Cerasi Chapel (Santa María of Popolo Church) are the second versions, painted in 1601.

They are placed at both sides of a crucifix, and Peter is looking forward the crucifix. The

first Conversion of Paul has been found in the collection Odescalchi Balbi, in Rome, but the

first Crucifixion of Peter has disappeared.

What is its meaning?

Caravaggio used oil on canvas. On this painting you can see a young man who was called

Saul of Tarsus, a Roman Jewish soldier who persecuted Christians. He's lying on the floor.

One day at midday, he was going to Damascus on his horse when a powerful light

illuminated the sky. When the light appeared, he could listen to the voice of God asking

him:" Saul, why do you persecute me?". Saul of Tarsus became blind for several days and

miraculously he recovered sight again thanks to some Christians who took care of him.

Then, he converted to Christianity and he got the name of Paul.

Caravaggio illustrates this story in a different way. The scene takes place in a stable

because the frame dimensions are really small. The horse is inadequate for the young

soldier that Saul was supposed to be. The scene develops at night instead of at midday, as

Saint Paul's Gospel says. These sources, which vulgarize the appearance of the scene,

were frequently used by Caravaggio to reveal the divine presence in normal life, even in

the banal things.

Although there are crude elements on the painting, there are also details that indicate us

the divine transcendence of the painting:

a. There is a hole in the center of the painting, an absence which makes us

understand that there is another type of presence. This presence is the one which

has knocked Saul down.

b. On the other hand, there is a bright, unreal and massive light which completely

illuminates Saul, but it doesn't illuminate the servant.

c. The huge mass of the horse comes down above Saul, who is imploring with his

arms opened.

d. The man's eyes are closed, but his face does not express pain or fear. He seems to

be in ecstasy.

In this way, Caravaggio shows us the divine presence in a scene which could be completely

an ordinary scene.

Why is it considered to be a Baroque painting?

Caravaggio's painting is clearly a Baroque painting. On his paintings, he always looked for

surprise in his public, because he apparently gave more importance to other elements of

the painting than the really important characters.

In the Conversion of St. Paul, Caravaggio represented the horse in the centre of the

representation, occupying a big part of it, as if it was more important than Paul.

The background is full of darkness, and the characters are as if they were illuminated by a

light (the use of lights and shadows. This is called tenebrism. Illuminating part of the

painting, as if there was a spotlight, is called chiaroscuro) Perspective is very important,

the different volumes and shapes, and the use of lights and shadows. This painting is the

partner of the Crucifixion of Peter, and both have the same dimensions, the same range of

colours and the claustrophobia sensation.

An example of a painter influenced by Caravaggio was Velázquez, who used very similar

techniques and who drew inspiration from him.

LAURA MUÑOZ DÍAZ-MECO

4º ESO A