Saint Paul Escapes from Damascus

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *Saint Paul Escapes from Damascus*, captures a dramatic moment from the New Testament in which the apostle Paul is lowered from the city walls in a basket to evade persecution. Created between 1501 and 1550 by Philip Galle after a design by Maerten van Heemskerck, the print reflects the collaborative printmaking practices of the Northern Renaissance, when painters often supplied drawings for skilled engravers to translate into widely circulated images. As an engraving, work demonstrates the medium’s importance in the sixteenth century for disseminating religious stories...