Conversion of St. Paul 1632 - 1642

Laurent de La Hyre made this print called "Conversion of St. Paul", using etching, sometime in the mid-17th century. The image illustrates a story from the Bible in which Saul, a persecutor of early Christians, is miraculously converted to Christianity and becomes the Apostle Paul. It was made in France during a period of religious and political upheaval. The Catholic Church was still a powerful institution, but new ideas were circulating, leading to conflicts and wars. La Hyre was a member of the French Academy of Painting and Sculpture, an institution that played a central role in shaping artistic taste and promoting a particular vision of art and culture. The academy emphasized classical ideals of order, reason, and decorum, and it sought to elevate painting to the status of a liberal art. Looking closely, we can ask what kind of meaning is produced through the depiction of Paul's dramatic conversion. What does it mean to show the body thrown from a horse? How are we meant to understand the relationship between divine intervention and human action? To understand its context better, we might turn to religious texts and political documents to explore the complex interplay between art, religion, and politics in 17th-century France.