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Jacob Jordaens was a prominent artist working in Antwerp in the 17th century. Though influenced in his use of powerful forms and vibrant color by his contemporary, Peter Paul Rubens, Jordaens was notably more realist in his tendencies. This drawing and its companion drawing in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection (1954.366) are very likely studies for a painting depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul that Jordaens made for the the abbey church at Tongerlo, near Antwerp, in around 1647 (now lost). According to the Bible, in the year following the death of Jesus Christ, Saul of Tarsus (who became Saint Paul) was on the road to Damascus. He was suddenly surrounded by a brilliant light from above, heard the voice of Christ, and became a believer. In this work, Saul appears to have been blinded by the force of Christ's voice and heavenly light. Jordaens used a combination of chalks and wet media such as ink and watercolor to create a swirling mass of bodies bathed in light.

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Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
59f419b33da5371f
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
131791
Core
obj
Type
drawing
DTO data
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    "id": "131791",
    "contentType": "drawing",
    "title": "The Conversion of Saul with Christ and the Cross",
    "description": "Jacob Jordaens was a prominent artist working in Antwerp in the 17th century. Though influenced in his use of powerful forms and vibrant color by his contemporary, Peter Paul Rubens, Jordaens was notably more realist in his tendencies. This drawing and its companion drawing in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection (1954.366) are very likely studies for a painting depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul that Jordaens made for the the abbey church at Tongerlo, near Antwerp, in around 1647 (now lost). According to the Bible, in the year following the death of Jesus Christ, Saul of Tarsus (who became Saint Paul) was on the road to Damascus. He was suddenly surrounded by a brilliant light from above, heard the voice of Christ, and became a believer. In this work, Saul appears to have been blinded by the force of Christ's voice and heavenly light. Jordaens used a combination of chalks and wet media such as ink and watercolor to create a swirling mass of bodies bathed in light.",
    "date": "c. 1645–47",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1954.367",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q80023384"
    ],
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        2824
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    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1954.367/1954.367_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1954.367/1954.367_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Sheet: 33 x 19.9 cm (13 x 7 13/16 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Flanders"
    ],
    "accession": "1954.367"
}

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Document identity
{
    "localId": "131791",
    "label": "The Conversion of Saul with Christ and the Cross",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "drawing"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "131791",
    "contentType": "drawing",
    "title": "The Conversion of Saul with Christ and the Cross",
    "description": "Jacob Jordaens was a prominent artist working in Antwerp in the 17th century. Though influenced in his use of powerful forms and vibrant color by his contemporary, Peter Paul Rubens, Jordaens was notably more realist in his tendencies. This drawing and its companion drawing in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection (1954.366) are very likely studies for a painting depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul that Jordaens made for the the abbey church at Tongerlo, near Antwerp, in around 1647 (now lost). According to the Bible, in the year following the death of Jesus Christ, Saul of Tarsus (who became Saint Paul) was on the road to Damascus. He was suddenly surrounded by a brilliant light from above, heard the voice of Christ, and became a believer. In this work, Saul appears to have been blinded by the force of Christ's voice and heavenly light. Jordaens used a combination of chalks and wet media such as ink and watercolor to create a swirling mass of bodies bathed in light.",
    "date": "c. 1645–47",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1954.367",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q80023384"
    ],
    "creators": [
        2824
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Drawing"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1954.367/1954.367_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1954.367/1954.367_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1954.367/1954.367_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Sheet: 33 x 19.9 cm (13 x 7 13/16 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Flanders"
    ],
    "accession": "1954.367"
}
Document source extras
{
    "tec": "brush and brown wash, gouache and watercolor over black and red chalk, heightened with traces of white; framing lines in graphite",
    "tombstone": "The Conversion of Saul with Christ and the Cross, c. 1645–47. Jacob Jordaens (Flemish, 1593–1678). Brush and brown wash, gouache and watercolor over black and red chalk, heightened with traces of white; framing lines in graphite; sheet: 33 x 19.9 cm (13 x 7 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds, 1954.367",
    "supportMaterials": [
        {
            "description": "two sheets (joined) of cream(3) laid paper, laid down on beige(1) laid paper"
        }
    ],
    "collection": "DR - Flemish",
    "inscriptions": [
        {
            "inscription": "lower right, in brown ink: Jordaens"
        }
    ],
    "didYouKnow": "In order to create the arch at the top of this sheet, which is almost a foot high, the artist added an additional sheet of paper.",
    "citations": {
        "1": {
            "citation": "Hulst, Roger Adolf d'. De tekeningen van Jakob Jordaens: bijdrage tot de geschiedenis van de XVIIe-eeuwse kunst in de zuidelijke Nederlanden. Brussel: AWlsk, Paleis der academiën, 1956.",
            "page_number": "nno. 129, p. 374"
        },
        "2": {
            "citation": "The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook.</em> Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.",
            "page_number": "Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 586",
            "url": "https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1958/page/n109"
        },
        "3": {
            "citation": "Roberts-Jones, Philippe, and Leo Van Puyvelde. <em>Le siècle de Rubens.</em> Museés royaux des beaux-arts de Belgique, Bruxelles. 1965.",
            "page_number": "Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 306, no. 332"
        },
        "4": {
            "citation": "Roberts-Jones, Philippe. De eeuw van Rubens. Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België, Brussel, 15 oktober-12 december 1965. Brussel: Patrimonium van de Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België, 1965.",
            "page_number": "no. 332, p. 306"
        },
        "5": {
            "citation": "Musées royaux des beaux-arts de Belgique. Le siècle de Rubens. [Exposition] Museés royaux des beaux-arts de Belgique, Bruxelles, 15 octobre-12 décembre 1965. 1965.",
            "page_number": "no. 332, p. 306"
        },
        "6": {
            "citation": "Jaffé, Michael. \"Jordaens Drawings at Antwerp and Rotterdam.\" <em>The Burlington Magazine</em> 108, no. 765 (1966): 625-30.",
            "page_number": "p. 626",
            "url": "www.jstor.org/stable/875111."
        },
        "7": {
            "citation": "Cleveland Museum of Art. Selected Works: Cleveland Museum of Art. 1967.",
            "page_number": "no. 164"
        },
        "8": {
            "citation": "Jaffé, Michael. <em>Jacob Jordaens 1593-1678.</em> Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1968.",
            "page_number": "No. 228, p. 204, p. 368,"
        },
        "9": {
            "citation": "Logan, Anne-Marie S. Flemish Drawings in the Age of Rubens: <em>Selected Works from American Collections.</em> Wellesley, Mass: Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College, 1993.",
            "page_number": "Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 171, no. 32."
        },
        "10": {
            "citation": "Cleveland Museum of Art, Diane DeGrazia, and Carter E. Foster. <em>Master Drawings from the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in association with Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 2000.",
            "page_number": "Mentioned: cat. no. 73, pp. 176-179, p. 294"
        },
        "11": {
            "citation": "Francis, Henry S. \"The Conversion of St. Paul by Jacob Jordaens Two Drawings in Washes and Chalks.\" <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 44, no. 2 (1957): 19-22.",
            "url": "www.jstor.org/stable/25142183."
        }
    },
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1954.367",
    "creditline": "Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds",
    "updatedAt": "2026-05-29 06:47:31.103000",
    "imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1954.367/1954.367_print.jpg",
    "sourceId": 131791,
    "dept": "Drawings",
    "coll": "DR - Flemish",
    "med": "brush and brown wash, gouache and watercolor over black and red chalk, heightened with traces of white; framing lines in graphite",
    "creatorTags": [
        "male"
    ],
    "thumbnail_url": null,
    "image_url": null
}
Page context
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