THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL

Designed by:
Karel van Mander I (1548 - 1606)
Painter, rhetorician and historian of Netherlandish art, author of the Schilderboeck of 1604. Born near Kortrijk; 1574-1577 in Italy; 1583-1603 in Haarlem; from 1603 in Amsterdam where he died. Career disrupted by the wars, moving around Flanders. About 30 paintings survive, so mainly known as prolific designer for prints. Pupil of Pieter Vlerick (c.1539-1581) and Lucas de Heere.

Engraver:
A work from te workshop of Jacques De Gheyn II (1565-1629)Attributed to: Zacharias Dolendo (1561 - c.1600)
Engraver and draughtsman. He was a more accomplished engraver than his brother Bartholomeus. Zacharias worked for many years with Jacques the Gheyn II and was one of the Gerrit Dou's first teachers. The strongest influence on Zacharias Dolendo's work was de Gheyn, who often provided designs for and published his engravings. He worked in Leiden.

Reference:
New Hollstein 100 (The De Gheyn family)
New Hollstein 86 (Karel van Mander)
BM inventory number: 1868,0612.439

Publishers address:
Claes Jansz. Visscher ( 1587 - 1652)

Technical:
Measures 34,50 by 54 cm.
Including the two text lines.
Trimmed just outside image borderline left and right, with margins top and bottom. Original middle fold, some small tears near the margin, one small closed tear from the backside.

Date:
Ca. 1595

Description
The Conversion of St Paul [Acts 9:4]; Paul, wearing a turban, sits serenely on a mound with his eyes closed surrounded by a group of soldiers; in the sky is a pronounced dark cloud and radiant light; some of the soldiers on the road shield their eyes from this bright light above; at right another group of soldiers on horseback with two captives with their hands tied behind their backs
Engraving

Inscriptions
Inscription Content: Lettered in lower left corner "KMandere Inuen, C.J. Visscher excudit,". Lettered in the margin in four columns, each two lines "Dum ferus ... Pastor ouilis" by "H.Grotius. Ætat XII". Lettered in the sky "SAUL SAUL QUID PERSEQUERIS ME" (Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?).