Saint Paul holding a sword and a book, from Christ and the Apostles 1540 - 1563

Curator: This is "Saint Paul holding a sword and a book, from Christ and the Apostles," a print by Andrea Schiavone, created sometime between 1540 and 1563. It currently resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My initial reaction is that the rendering feels quite raw. You can see the individual lines from the printmaking process so clearly. The layering gives Paul a somber, almost burdened appearance. Curator: Schiavone was a master of Mannerism, and this work showcases that wonderfully. We can see that attention to the elongated form, the swirling drapery... Editor: It all speaks to the symbolic weight attached to Saint Paul. The sword, a classic emblem of his martyrdom, and the book, representing his epistles and teachings. It’s fascinating how these objects become inseparable from his identity. Curator: The question I find more pressing is, how were these prints received? They would have been relatively accessible objects, and what did it mean to produce such a tactile image on this scale and how did people consume them? What was the market like for these kinds of affordable devotional images? Editor: That's interesting because, considering his pose and expression, it gives this impression he is pondering these very questions; almost questioning his own actions. The book he carries appears substantial and well-worn. It seems he literally carries the burden of interpreting and spreading the Word. Curator: Exactly! The materiality allows that feeling! What does it mean when printed matter becomes ubiquitous? How is information devalued or enhanced by its mode of dissemination and production? The mass-produced image challenges notions of singularity. Editor: It shows how symbols can have multifaceted meaning across many generations, the meaning being reproduced like the print itself. And how a print, even when mass-produced, can contain deep wells of meaning, alluding to Paul's struggles with faith, knowledge, and duty. Curator: It certainly makes you think about the intersection of the sacred and the accessible, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. The symbolic depth and production context here enriches our appreciation of this intriguing Saint Paul.