James ThornhillEnglish, 1675–1734St Paul Preaching Before Sergius Paulus
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “St Paul Preaching Before Sergius Paulus” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
This drawing is a preliminary study for one of the illusionistic lunettes decorating the interior of the dome in St Paul’s Cathedral. Sir James Thornhill received the coveted commission to decorate the dome of the cathedral in 1715 and completed the project in 1717.
The drawing depicts the Conversion of St Paul, one of eight scenes from the life of the saint depicted on the dome. Thornhill sketched the composition of this drawing in brown chalk, enhancing the darker passages with wash and using white chalk to emphasise the highlights.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- D.1087-1886
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
