St. Paul, from Christ, the Twelve Apostles and St. Paul
1525–76
Medium
Engraving
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.92
Art Historical Context
Lambert Suavius created this engraving of St. Paul as part of a larger series depicting Christ, the Twelve Apostles, and St. Paul. Active in the mid-16th century, Suavius worked in the tradition of Northern European printmakers who blended detailed line work with religious subjects. The series reflects the period’s strong demand for accessible devotional imagery during the Reformation, when printed works helped spread biblical narratives beyond church walls. Engraving, the medium used here, allowed artists to achieve fine lines and intricate shading that could be reproduced in multiple impres...
About the Artist
Lambert Suavius · 1510–1576
Lambert Suavius (c.1510–c.1574/76), whose Flemish family name was Zutman, was born in Liège, in the southern Netherlands. He was the son of an episcopal goldsmith, Henri Zutman, and from his father's craft environment he inherited a training in the precise handling of metal and an appreciation for fine detail work. He became closely associated with his brother-in-law Lambert Lombard, the leading a...