H. Paulus 1623

Lucas Kilian created this engraving of H. Paulus in Augsburg. Here, the image creates meaning through its visual codes and historical associations. The figure of Saint Paul is framed within classical architecture, his name is given in Latin. It represents the institutional power of the church and how, in seventeenth-century Augsburg, the city's cultural life was rooted in its religious history. Saint Paul holds both a book and a sword. Kilian's image reminds us how the Bible and violence have gone hand in hand in European history. It speaks volumes about the social structures of its time. It is a self-consciously conservative and powerful image. To understand an image like this better, we can research the history of Augsburg, and the biography of Saint Paul and the visual conventions used to portray him. We can also look at the history of the church and the history of the book to have a better picture of the social and institutional context of this artwork.