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The work is by an artist from late seventeenth-century Spain and could be one that was produced in many copies for devotional purposes. A work of similar iconography but different composition by Mattia Preti is in Cleveland Museum of Art. The inscription of the saint's name below is on a fictive stone cartouche supported by angels in grisaille. Saint Paul the Hermit, wearing a garment of rough wicker-like matting, is being fed with a roll of bread brought by a raven. In the background, a landscape with a stream. Having fled the persecution of Decius, Saint Paul lived in a cave in the desert and spent his time in prayer. He survived on fruit and water and was fed by a raven who brought him bread.
Title
Saint Paul the Hermit Being Fed by a Raven
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 93.2 x W 61.2 cm
Accession number
44790i
Acquisition method
purchased by Henry S. Wellcome, c.1900–1936
Work type
Painting
Inscription description
S. Pablo