Description
Jacob Jordaens was a prominent artist working in Antwerp in the 17th century. Though influenced in his use of powerful forms and vibrant color by his contemporary, Peter Paul Rubens, Jordaens was notably more realist in his tendencies. This drawing and its companion drawing in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection (1954.366) are very likely studies for a painting depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul that Jordaens made for the the abbey church at Tongerlo, near Antwerp, in around 1647 (now lost). According to the Bible, in the year following the death of Jesus Christ, Saul of Tarsus (who became Saint Paul) was on the road to Damascus. He was suddenly surrounded by a brilliant light from above, heard the voice of Christ, and became a believer. In this work, Saul appears to have been blinded by the force of Christ's voice and heavenly light. Jordaens used a combination of chalks and wet media such as ink and watercolor to create a swirling mass of bodies bathed in light.
Provenance
Duke Albert of Sachsen-Teschen (according to cma files). Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna (Lugt 1259-60, not stamped, according to cma files). Otto Burchard (according to cma files). [Heinrich Eisemann, London].
Accession Number
1954.367
Medium
brush and brown wash, gouache and watercolor over black and red chalk, heightened with traces of white; framing lines in graphite
Dimensions
Sheet: 33 x 19.9 cm (13 x 7 13/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Credit Line
Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds
Tags
Drawing Baroque (1600–1750) Watercolor Graphite & Pencil Gouache Flemish
Background & Context
Background Story
The Conversion of Saul with Christ and the Cross is a companion drawing to Jordaens's Conversion of Saul with Horseman and Banner, both from the same c. 1645-47 preparatory campaign. This version focuses on the moment of divine revelation, with Christ appearing on the cross above the fallen Saul—a composition that combines the narrative drama of Saul's conversion with the devotional image of the Crucifixion. The combination of brush and brown wash, gouache, and watercolor over black and red chalk demonstrates Jordaens's ability to build up a composition through successive layers of media, each adding tonal and chromatic complexity to the initial chalk drawing.
Cultural Impact
The two Conversion of Saul drawings demonstrate how 17th-century Flemish artists developed multiple compositional solutions for the same subject, testing different arrangements before committing to the final painting. The Horseman and Banner version emphasizes the narrative drama of the conversion, while the Christ and Cross version emphasizes its devotional significance—two different interpretations of the same biblical event, developed through successive layers of drawing media.
Why It Matters
The Conversion of Saul with Christ and the Cross is Jordaens exploring the devotional dimension of the same subject: not just the narrative drama but the theological meaning—Christ on the cross above the converted sinner. The multiple media (wash, gouache, watercolor, chalk) build tonal and chromatic complexity layer by layer, creating a drawing that is simultaneously a compositional study and a devotional image.
