Saint Paul surprised by Nero at the moment of converting Sabina Poppaea

The work was commissioned and completed in 1858 by Isidoro Lozano as an oil painting on canvas measuring 178 × 301 cm.

It entered the collection of the Museo de la Trinidad in Madrid after its foundation in 1838, as part of the state’s program of acquiring contemporary Spanish religious and historical paintings.

Following the dissolution of the Museo de la Trinidad in 1872, the painting was transferred to the Museo del Prado, where it remains in the permanent collection.

The painting Saint Paul surprised by Nero at the moment of converting Sabina Poppaea is currently located at the University of Barcelona. Historically, the work has been associated with the collections of the Museo del Prado and the Museo de la Trinidad. The piece was created in 1858 by Isidoro Lozano and is executed in oil paint on canvas.

While specific accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the work's institutional trajectory links it to major Spanish repositories before its placement at the university.

Isidoro Lozano's 1858 painting Saint Paul surprised by Nero at the moment of converting Sabina Poppaea depicts a dramatic conversion scene featuring the apostle Paul, Emperor Nero, and Poppaea Sabina. The work resides in the Museo del Prado and Museo de la Trinidad collections, reflecting 19th-century Spanish religious art's engagement with historical narratives. Scholars analyze its composition as a pivotal moment of spiritual transformation, situating it within the broader context of Spanish academic painting's historical themes and its physical presentation at the University of Barcelona.

The painting's material execution in oil on canvas and its depiction of a zither-playing figure underscore its narrative complexity, while its placement in institutional collections highlights its significance in preserving ecclesiastical art history.

The painting exerted limited influence beyond its own time, remaining largely confined to Spanish academic circles. It entered the collections of the Museo del Prado and the Museo de la Trinidad before finding a permanent home at the University of Barcelona, where it is held today. Scholarly attention to the work has been sporadic, noted mainly for its dramatic composition rather than widespread cultural impact.

Isidoro Lozano’s 1858 oil on canvas, titled Saint Paul Surprised by Nero at the Moment of Converting Sabina Poppaea, is part of the Prado Museum’s collection. The work brings together three historical figures, Nero, the apostle Paul, and the Roman noblewoman Poppaea Sabina, in a single, theatrical interior scene.