Conversion on the Way to Damascus by Caravaggio (Interpretation and Analysis)

Conversion on the Way to Damascus
Source: Wikipedia

Caravaggio is one of my favorite artists. He was an Italian artist of the Baroque period, known for his controversial (and sometimes homicidal) behavior, his ignominious death, and his extraordinary paintings. His work is visually dramatic and rich in shadows; in terms of subject matter, his work is imbued with a gritty realism that makes it particularly appealing on an emotional level. If you’re interested in learning more about Caravaggio, I recommend reading this wonderful essay from Medium.

Among his many fascinating paintings, Caravaggio’s Conversion on the Way to Damascus is one of my favorites. The painting depicts the conversion of Saint Paul. According to the New Testament, Paul (called Saul before his conversion) persecuted the Christians with fervor until, one day, God spoke to him. As the Acts of the Apostles describes: “As [Saul] neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’”

This is the moment that Caravaggio captures in his painting. The canvas is dominated by the body of Saint Paul, who lies on his back with his arms outstretched. He is illuminated by a bright, strong light. His horse stands above him, and a groom looks on in surprise. Caravaggio’s depiction of Paul is deeply personal; with his outstretched arms and closed eyes, the saint seems to reach out to God, and he is clearly absorbed in a moment of religious exultation. Thanks to Caravaggio’s use of light and shadow (in this case a style called tenebrism) the painting is intensely melodramatic (which is one of the reasons I like it); however, the painting is also accessible in a way that many earlier Renaissance pieces were not.

In Conversion on the Way to Damascus, Saint Paul becomes an ordinary person, as opposed to the stately and grandiose depictions common in earlier times. Caravaggio’s simplified composition (the painting is very limited in scope) intensifies the viewer’s experience of Paul’s conversion and emphasizes his vulnerability as he communes with God. This is clearly intentional. Caravaggio worked during the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic response to the rise of Protestantism. In the wake of the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church emphasized personal devotion as a means for Catholics to build a stronger relationship with their faith. This directive carried over into art, giving artists like Caravaggio a chance to create art that made an affective appeal to the viewer. As art historians Drs. Steven Zucker and Beth Harris explain in this video, “Saul is so close to us and seems so real, he lies on the bare earth...In the Renaissance, we often saw a distance between the world of human beings and the realm of the divine. But, here Saul is present in our world.”

Caravaggio’s great success as an artist comes from his ability to create scenes that are both grandly dramatic and accessible. At its heart, Caravaggio’s work is grounded in realism, drawing inspiration from the gritty streets of Rome. In my opinion, it is this quality that continues to draw viewers to Caravaggio’s work.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.