Saint Paul
circa 1619
Look at the intense, weathered face of Saint Paul, captured here by a teenage Diego Velázquez around 1619. The young Spanish master uses dramatic, shadowy lighting to highlight the apostle's thick grey beard and the heavy, textured folds of his humble brown cloak. Clutching a massive book, Paul stares off into the distance with a look of deep, almost weary contemplation. This early masterpiece shows Velázquez already mastering the gritty realism and emotional depth that would make him the ultimate court painter for the King of Spain.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona