St Paul the Hermit

Paul of Thebaid was considered the first of the hermits of Egypt – men and women who, to escape persecution as Christians in the 3rd century, chose a life of solitude for the sake of contemplation and asceticism. According to tradition, Paul remained in the desert for almost ninety years, wearing only a garment of woven palm leaves and subsisting on fruit and bread. Edifying images of the hermits’ lives, expressing the value of penitence, were popular subjects in counter-reformation art. Ribera’s portrayal demonstrates a rare understanding of Caravaggio’s lesson. The depicted moment represents the story’s emotional climax, Paul’s ecstatic vision and mystic communion with God, symbolised by the light. The saint’s pose, with its reference to the crucified Christ, indicates his willingness to heed Christ’s call to follow him.