Caravaggio – The Conversion of Saint Paul

The Conversion of Saint Paul is Caravaggio’s first version of the scene on the road to Damascus, painted in 1600–1601: Saul lies on the ground covering his eyes with both hands, an old soldier with a shield and a spear stands over him, a white horse rears behind, and from the upper right Christ, held by an angel, reaches down towards him. The original is painted in oil on a cypress wood panel, 237 cm high and 189 cm wide, and is privately owned, in the Odescalchi Balbi collection in Rome. We paint it by hand in oil on canvas in 8 portrait sizes, from 43 x 53 to 150 x 195 cm, or to your own measurement, and send you a photograph of it before dispatch.

The Conversion of Saint Paul – Caravaggio

What does The Conversion of Saint Paul show?

In the lower part the young Saul lies on his back, bare-chested, with the straps of Roman armour across his body. He covers his eyes with both hands, as if blinded by a light he cannot bear.

Above him stands an old bearded soldier in a plumed helmet, holding a shield and a spear. Behind them a white horse rears. From the upper right Christ, supported by an angel, stretches out his hand towards Saul; at the right edge there is dark foliage and a narrow strip of landscape.

What is the story of the conversion?

Paul tells it himself in the Acts of the Apostles (22:6–11). Saul of Tarsus was travelling to Damascus to persecute the Christians there. On the way a light from heaven struck him blind and he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” It was the voice of Christ, and the persecutor became the apostle Paul.

Caravaggio chose the moment of the turn: Saul cannot yet see, but he already hears. That is why the covered eyes and Christ’s outstretched hand sit at the centre of the composition.

Why is this painting special?

Because it is the first version, the one that never reached the chapel it was made for. According to the early biographer Giovanni Baglione, both first paintings for the chapel were rejected, and Caravaggio painted second versions that still hang there today.

The comparison is revealing: the second version, on canvas, is far simpler, with Paul on his back beneath a huge horse. The first is full of movement, figures and detail. The biographer Helen Langdon describes its style as a mix of Raphael and rough country realism.

Here too Caravaggio sets strong light against deep darkness, the manner that made him famous. The Wikipedia article (in English) has more on both versions.

Where is the original, and what route did it take?

The original is privately owned, in the Odescalchi Balbi collection in Rome. It is painted on a panel of cypress wood, not on canvas; our reproduction, on the other hand, is painted on canvas.

In September 1600 Monsignor Tiberio Cerasi, treasurer-general to Pope Clement VIII and later a cardinal, commissioned it together with a Crucifixion of Saint Peter for his chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo. Cerasi died on 3 May 1601.

Baglione writes that Cardinal Giacomo Sannesio took both first versions. The first Crucifixion of Saint Peter is lost; this panel is the surviving first version of the Conversion.

The Conversion of Saint Paul or another Caravaggio?

This suits anyone drawn to a moment of sudden change: a living room with a high ceiling, a study, a library or a hallway, where the tall format comes into its own. The scene is dramatic but without blood.

If you are looking for another moment when Christ calls someone, see The Calling of Saint Matthew. For quiet, gathered mourning there is The Entombment of Christ, and for a calm inner change Penitent Magdalene.

More famous Caravaggio paintings, all painted by hand to order, are on the Caravaggio page.

How does our painter paint your Conversion of Saint Paul?

Each Caravaggio reproduction of this panel is made to order on canvas, one layer of oil at a time. The painter first lays in the dark ground and the main directions of the bodies, the horse and the spear, so that the composition holds together.

Then he builds up the light: on Saul’s bare chest, on the neck of the white horse, on Christ’s outstretched hand and on the metal of the helmet.

Last come the plume, the foliage on the right and the small glints on the shield. An oil painting reproduction like this has a depth and a glow that a paper print does not reach.

Which size for which wall?

In short: 43 x 53 or 55 x 66 cm for a narrow wall beside a door or a shelf, 60 x 78 or 78 x 95 cm above a chest of drawers or a desk, 85 x 110 or 110 x 135 cm above a sofa, and 120 x 155 and 150 x 195 cm for tall walls and stairwells.

All 8 portrait sizes (width x height): 43 x 53, 55 x 66, 60 x 78, 78 x 95, 85 x 110, 110 x 135, 120 x 155 and 150 x 195 cm. The original measures 189 x 237 cm, so even our largest size is 39 cm narrower and 42 cm shorter.

As a painting for the living room above a sofa, 110 x 135 cm is the most balanced choice. A tall painting needs some air above it: leave at least 30 cm between its top edge and the ceiling.

Can I order another size or a frame?

Yes. The original is roughly 4 : 5 in proportion. Keep that ratio and everyone stays on the canvas: Saul on the ground, the soldier, the horse and Christ with the angel above. Write to us with the size you want and we will send you a price and a date.

We ship this canvas painting rolled, stretched on a stretcher bar or framed. Our workshop in Slovenia does the stretching and the framing.

Frames are chosen in our 3D application, which serves that choice alone; seeing the painting on your own wall is a separate service. A gilded or dark oak frame suits this scene and brings out the light on the bodies.

When will the painting arrive?

We start your Conversion as soon as you order, and within 15 to 45 working days it is ready to ship. You see a photograph of the finished painting before it ships, and anything you want altered is altered first.

Within Slovenia and the rest of the EU it travels without customs, and our returns policy applies to every order. If you want to give it as a present but let the recipient pick the size, there is the wall art voucher.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the original painting today?

In the private Odescalchi Balbi collection in Rome; the painting is privately owned.

What happens in the scene?

On the road to Damascus Saul falls to the ground, blinded by light from heaven, while Christ and an angel lean down towards him.

Is it a print or a real painting?

Not a print. It is a hand-painted copy in oil on canvas, made by our painter for your order.

What is the original painted on?

On a panel of cypress wood. We paint on canvas, which we can send rolled or stretched.

How big is the original?

It is 237 cm high and 189 cm wide. Our sizes run from 43 x 53 to 150 x 195 cm.

Is this the painting in Santa Maria del Popolo?

No. The Cerasi Chapel holds the second, simpler version on canvas. With us you order the first version, with the soldier, the horse and the angel.

Is it right for a bedroom, or as a gift?

For a bedroom the scene may be too lively; Narcissus is calmer there. As a gift for someone who loves the Baroque or Bible stories, it is a very good choice.

How long does it take to make?

Between 15 and 45 working days, then we ship; you get the photograph before that.

• Subject: on the road to Damascus Saul is blinded by light from heaven; above him a soldier and a white horse, and from the right Christ comes with an angel.
• Original: 1600–1601, oil on cypress panel, 237 x 189 cm, Odescalchi Balbi collection, Rome.
• Ours: painted by hand in oil on canvas, in 8 portrait sizes from 43 x 53 to 150 x 195 cm or made to measure.
• Worth knowing: this is the first version; the second, composed quite differently, hangs in the Cerasi Chapel in Rome.