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Secondary sourcePainting1514

Saint Paul

Albrecht Dürer · 1514

An engraving by Albrecht Dürer showing Paul holding a book, with a sword resting at his feet.

This engraving depicts Paul with symbolic objects, showing how later artists imagined his appearance and authority.

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Engraving of an elderly bearded man with a halo, wearing a draped robe and holding an open book, standing beside a wall with a sword at his feet. Dated 1514 with the AD monogram. Black and white.
Albrecht Dürer, Saint Paul, 1514. Chester Beatty, Ireland.

About this source

What it is

This is an engraving made in 1514 by the German artist Albrecht Dürer. It shows an elderly bearded man with a halo, holding an open book, with a sword at his feet. It is held today by the Chester Beatty in Ireland.

Why it matters

Paul is traditionally shown with a book, standing for his many letters, and a sword, a symbol linked to accounts of his death. Dürer was one of the most skilled printmakers of his time, and this image shows how artists centuries after Paul's life imagined him as a wise, authoritative teacher.

Look closer

  • Why might an artist give Paul a book and a sword instead of other objects?
  • What does the halo tell you about how Paul was viewed by the artist's time?
  • How is this image different from a modern photograph — what choices has the artist made?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Paul on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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