Saint Paul of Thebes tempted by a demon, after Magnasco

Bartolommeo Gazalis

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Born around 227 in the Thebaid region of Egypt, Paul of Thebes is regarded as the first Christian hermit. Here he is shown partly naked, meditating on a cross, and seated outdoors, emphasizing his poverty and commitment to spiritual life. The skull in the lower left corner is a reminder of the transience of earthly existence. In the upper section, a demon in the guise of a sensuous woman attempts to distract him from his devotion. The saint’s elon-gated figure and the loose and dense style of etching reflect his familiarity with the prints of Giovanni Bene-detto Castiglione Gazalis made only two etchings, both based on designs by Magnasco. The only other known impression of this print is the Civica Raccolta Bertarelli in Milan.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.

Metropolitan Museum of Art