Artwork
Sanctus Paulus
Sanctus Paulus is an ink print by the Baroque artist Marco Alvise Pitteri. It dates from 1744 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Sanctus Paulus is an engraved print executed by the Italian artist Marco Alvise Pitteri in 1744. The work presents a solitary figure rendered in black ink on paper, employing the fine linear qualities typical of eighteenth‑century engraving.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows an elderly man with a long white beard, dressed in a dark robe trimmed with a white collar. He rests his right hand on his shoulder while his left hand supports an open book, suggesting a scholarly or ecclesiastical identity, likely that of Saint Paul.
Technique & Style
Pitteri achieves tonal variation through dense cross‑hatching, arranging parallel lines in close succession to model shadows and flesh. This method creates a subtle gradation of darkness, giving the figure a three‑dimensional presence against a largely unlit background that brightens slightly behind the head.
History & Provenance
The engraving was produced in Venice during the late Baroque period, a time when printmaking served both devotional and didactic purposes. While specific ownership records are scarce, copies of the image have appeared in 18th‑century devotional collections and later in scholarly catalogues of Pitteri’s oeuvre.
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