Saint Paul
1514
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate): 11.8 × 7.5 cm (4 5/8 × 2 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.3526
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer, preeminent German artist of the Northern Renaissance, crafted *Saint Paul* in 4 as a masterful engraving on laid paper. Measuring just 11.8 × 7.5 cm, this intimate print captures the apostle in contemplative repose, seated with a book and sword—symbols of his scholarly and martyred life. Produced during Dürer's mature period, amid the eve of the Protestant Reformation, it reflects the era's deep religious fervor and his innovative printmaking prowess, which allowed detailed images to reach a wide audience beyond elite patrons. Dürer's engraving technique shines here: using a b...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...