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Secondary sourceSculpture1503

Saint Paul

Michelangelo · 1503

A marble statue of Paul carved by Michelangelo for the Piccolomini Altar in Siena Cathedral.

One of Michelangelo's early sculptures depicting Paul as an apostle on the Piccolomini Altar.

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Marble statue of a bearded man with curly hair in a niche topped by a fan-shaped shell arch. He wears a long draped robe and a cloak, with one hand resting at his waist and the other at his side. The statue stands on a round base.
Michelangelo, Saint Paul, 1503. Siena Cathedral.

About this source

What it is

This marble statue was carved by Michelangelo in 1503 and stands in a niche of the Piccolomini Altar in Siena Cathedral, Italy. It shows Paul as a bearded, robed figure standing calmly in a shell-topped niche.

Why it matters

The statue is part of a set of apostle figures made for the altar, created early in Michelangelo's career before his most famous works. It shows how Renaissance artists depicted saints with calm dignity and classical draping, blending Christian subject matter with the sculptural traditions of ancient Rome that Michelangelo studied closely.

Look closer

  • How does the pose and clothing make Paul look calm and dignified?
  • Why might a cathedral commission statues of the apostles for an altar?
  • What can we tell about Michelangelo's skill from the folds of the robe?

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

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