Saint Paul the Hermit
c. 1662–1664
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 103 × 76.2 cm · framed: 121 × 94 × 8 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession Number
1969.109
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
After training in Rome in the 1630s and 1640s, Preti went to Naples where he continued working in a mode inspired by the work of Caravaggio. In this painting, dramatic lighting and intense naturalism depict the intersection of the heavenly and earthly realms. According to Catholic tradition, Saint Paul the Hermit fled into the desert to escape persecution from the Romans in the third century, and is revered as the first of many hermit saints. A raven brought Saint Paul a half a loaf of bread dai...