St. Paul preaching at Athens (Copy of Raphael's tapestry, reversed)

St. Paul preaching at Athens (Copy of Raphael's tapestry, reversed) by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) is a significant drawing reflecting the enduring influence of the High Renaissance master during the sixteenth century. Executed sometime between 1500 and 1600, the unknown copyist utilized pen and brown ink, skillfully enhanced with a wash of India ink to define the forms and create dramatic contrasts of light and shadow. This careful technique emphasizes line and tone, characteristic of drawings intended for study or as models for further reproduction.

The subject matter focuses on the powerful figure of Saint Paul, depicted mid-sermon addressing a crowd of listeners. This scene is one of the most celebrated episodes in the Acts of the Apostles, where Paul confronts the intellectual community on the Areopagus in Athens.

Crucially, this drawing is a copy based on one of Raphael’s famous tapestry designs created for Pope Leo X, intended to hang in the Sistine Chapel below Michelangelo's ceiling. The original tapestry cycle depicted foundational scenes from the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The notation "reversed" indicates that this drawing likely functioned as an intermediate step in the reproduction process, perhaps for printmaking, which would require the composition to be flipped to align with the original artwork.

As an important example of Renaissance draftsmanship and the historical spread of artistic ideas, this work resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. The composition’s focus on the various reactions of the men in the crowd, from rapt attention to outright hostility, showcases the enduring power of Raphael’s original design. As this piece is now considered part of the public domain, it remains available for study by scholars and art enthusiasts worldwide.