Image: Breenbergh, Bartholomeus, Saints Paul and Barnabas at Lystra (Sacrifice at Lystra), 1637

Description: The subject of Saints Paul and Barnabas at Lystra, rare in European painting, provided Breenbergh an opportunity to prove his familiarity with biblical narrative. In Acts 14:7–24, Paul and Barnabas, mistaken for Jupiter and Mercury after having miraculously cured a lame man, must prevent a pagan priest from making a blasphemous sacrifice in their honor. Breenbergh composed this scene with fidelity to the text, registering the saints’ distress by showing Paul tearing his garments while Barnabas runs to stop the ritual. The Italianizing scenery departs from the story’s setting in Asia Minor. Breenbergh knew southern landscapes from his formative years in Rome (1619–29), when he was associated with the Schildersbent (painters’ clique), an association of Northern artists, and became familiar with classical art. Here, Breenbergh quotes motifs from Roman relief sculpture—sacrificial animals, musical instruments, and flower garlands—to recreate the scene accurately.
Title: Saints Paul and Barnabas at Lystra (Sacrifice at Lystra)
Credit: Princeton University Art Museum
Author: Bartholomeus Breenbergh
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License: Public domain
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