Saint Paul
ca. 1330
Medium
Tempera on wood, gold ground
Dimensions
Overall, with arched top and engaged frame, 37 3/4 x 19 in. (95.9 x 48.3 cm); painted surface 35 1/8 x 16 1/2 in. (89.2 x 41.9 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Coudert Brothers, 1888
Accession Number
88.3.99
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the radiant world of 14th-century Sienese art with *Saint Paul* by Lippo MemmiFilippo di Memmo created around 1330. Thisa on wood panel, glowing with a gold ground, captures the apostle in a classic Gothic pose, holding a sword—his attribute symbolizing both his epistles ("the sword of the Spirit") and his by beheading under Emperor Nero. Measuring about 37¾ x 19 inches with its arched top and frame, it likely formed part of a larger altarpiece or devotional ensemble, inviting medieval worshippers into a heavenly realm. Lippo Memmi, a key figure in Siena's vibrant Gothic tradition, ...