Paul the Apostle 

Curator: Here we have a compelling portrait, attributed to Johann Georg Trautmann, identified as "Paul the Apostle". It resides in the Städel Museum. Editor: My first impression? Melancholy. The figure’s downward gaze and the subtle shading give off a sense of introspection, maybe even weariness. And, well, that's quite a hefty sword he’s clutching. Curator: Exactly. Trautmann was clearly focused on the interplay of light and shadow. The piece employs etching, engraving, with potential use of chalk, graphite and ink... You see how the cross-hatching defines the folds of his garments? And those deeply etched lines really convey the weight of his years, don’t they? Editor: Absolutely. The process becomes integral to the emotion. The density of lines seems almost woven, emphasizing texture—the coarseness of the fabric, the roughness of his beard. How fascinating to think about the labour invested. It’s all about that etched line, each one placed deliberately to build up this image. Curator: Yes, you feel that materiality. It whispers of baroque drama, but there’s also something raw, almost brutally honest in the depiction. Think of Paul’s life – a relentless journey of conversion, preaching, and persecution. Trautmann’s captured some essential grit of it. Editor: That sword becomes all the more poignant, then. Less a symbol of triumph, more a constant companion, forged and wielded within tumultuous conditions of existence. What price belief? I’m intrigued, though, about Trautmann's choices regarding material – does this selection point towards a specific kind of audience or patronage at that time? Was the relative accessibility of printmaking intentionally utilized to circulate these notions? Curator: Those are very insightful questions. Perhaps the print medium, allowing for wider dissemination, was meant to serve that evangelical mission? Or simply an artistic choice of materiality and methods? The image certainly demands contemplation. Editor: Indeed, contemplating the choices—medium, line, shadow—lends further gravity to our experience, underscoring his tangible world and the tools that served him. Curator: It leaves us with this poignant representation where the intensity and craftsmanship merge into quiet power.