Pier Francesco Sacchi, 'Saint Paul Writing', 1520s
About the work
Overview
Saint Paul is depicted with reed pen poised, gazing at the crucified Christ for inspiration. The Greek text he is writing is from his first Epistle to the Corinthians (13: 4): ‘Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up’. His attribute, the sword by which he was martyred, rests against the table.
Every crease and wrinkle on Saint Paul’s forehead and around his eyes and each bone and tendon in his neck has been carefully recorded, revealing not only Sacchi’s acute powers of observation but also his understanding of anatomy. His interest in antiquity is reflected in the relief on the lectern and in the faces in profile on the base of the Crucifix. His detailed, sharply delineated, naturalistic – almost hyperreal – style reveals a regard for Northern European painting, while the sources for his figures and other influences are derived from Lombardy, Liguria and Flanders.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Saint Paul Writing
- Artist
- Pier Francesco Sacchi
- Artist dates
- about 1485 - 1528
- Date made
- 1520s
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 106 × 81.9 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Mond Bequest, 1924
- Inventory number
- NG3944
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Cecil Gould, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Italian Schools’, London 1987; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
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1874F. Alizeri, Notizie dei professori del disegno in Liguria dalle origini al secolo XVI, Genova 1874
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1895Royal Academy of Arts, Exhibition of the Works of the Old Masters (exh. cat. Royal Academy of Arts, 1895), London 1895
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1910J.P. Richter, The Mond Collection: An Appreciation, London 1910
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1911G. Frizzoni, 'La raccolta Mond ed opere attinenti alla medesima', Rassegna d'arte, XI, 1911, pp. 43-8
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1912C.J. Ffoulkes, 'Il catalogo mond', L'arte, XV, 1912, pp. 263-80
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1929National Gallery, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square: Catalogue, 86th edn, London 1929
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1951A. Morassi, Capolavori della pittura a Genova (exh. cat. Museo di Palazzo Reale Genoa, 28 June - 31 August 1946), Milan 1951
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1962Gould, Cecil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Italian Schools (excluding the Venetian), London 1962
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1968A. Bocco, 'Contributi per la valutazione dell'opera di Pier Francesco Sacchi', Arte lombarda, XIII/2, 1968, pp. 43-50
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1970C.B. Dufour, La pittura a Genova e in Liguria. Dagli inizi al Cinquecento, Genoa 1970
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1975C. Gould, Delaroche and Gautier: Gautier's Views on the 'Execution of Lady Jane Grey' and on other Compositions by Delaroche, London 1975
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1985C.T. Dowd, 'The Travel Diary of Otto Mündler', The Walpole Society, LI, 1985
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1987Gould, Cecil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1987
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1988M. Gregori, Pittura a Pavia dal Romanico al Settecento, Milan 1988
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1988M. Bartoletti, 'Sacchi', in G. Briganti (ed.), La pittura in Italia: Il Cinquecento, Milan 1988
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1998G. Zanelli, 'Cultura d'oltralpe e linguaggio toscano nell'opera di Pietro Francesco Sacchi', Arte lombarda, 1998, pp. 18-25
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.