Renaissance school; XVI century. Lot n° 22

Renaissance school; XVI century. "Saint Paul". Carved and polychrome wood. It presents important losses in the polychrome. Measurements: 44 x 17 x 13 cm. In spite of the loss of one of its attributes, it is possible to intuit that it is a support staff, or a rod, since in the left hand of the sculpture remains of the original element can be appreciated. With the right hand it holds a book, indicating that it is a representation of the apostle Saint Paul. The sculpture has a certain rigidity in its forms, adapting to the material. Saint Paul was a Hellenized Jew of the Diaspora, born in Tarsus. He was therefore Jewish by ethnicity, Greek by culture and Roman by nationality. He received the name Saul, which he changed to Paul after his conversion. Born at the beginning of the first century, he studied in Jerusalem with Rabbi Gamaliel, who was known for his hatred of Christians. One day, when around the year 35 he was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus, he was dazzled by lightning and fell from his horse. Then he heard the voice of Jesus saying to him: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? As a result of this experience, the saint went abruptly from persecutor to zealot of Christianity. After curing the blindness of a Christian from Damascus, he began his life as a missionary, until he arrived in Jerusalem where he came into contact with Peter and the other apostles. In the Middle Ages, numerous corporations were placed under his patronage, due to different aspects of his iconography, life and miracles. Nevertheless, St. Paul was never a popular saint, which proves the relative poverty of his iconography.