17th Century, Panel With Saint Paul

17th century
Panel with Saint Paul
Polychrome and gold wood, 130 x 66 cm

The sculpture analyzed here highlights a strong plastic and volumetric vigor that lends a sense of immediate naturalism: the pronounced drapery of the robes, the torsion of the body, and the careful investigation of the facial features underscore this aspect, linked to the post-Ridentine dictates of sacred images aimed at touching the souls of the faithful with immediacy and decorum. Physical power is reflected in the moral height of this Saint Paul, with his face absorbed in a deep meditation that then projects itself into his wrinkled forehead. Pieces of technical virtuosity by the 17th-century sculptor, who worked here, are evident in the wavy rendering of his thick beard and curly hair, rendered with careful calligraphy. The apostle highlights the usual attributes of the sword, with which he was martyred and, as the author of the Epistles, of the book he holds under his lively red robe. The half-closed mouth and the pose of the head reclining downwards denote the sculptor's intent to render the apostle with extreme naturalism, far from any classicist idealization. The golden halo surrounding the head of this preacher, born in Tarsus, Asia Minor but of Roman citizenship, around 10 AD, has been elaborated and decorated in several registers. He is represented here with undeniable effectiveness and immediacy. The work created at the end of the 16th century was enriched in the 17th century in the part of the extrados of the arch with leaf decorations with rosettes in the centre.