The Conversion of Saul
Virgil Solis, 1565 · Acts 9:4
The passage
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Acts 9:4
About this woodcut
A cavalry column has come apart. Saul is on the ground in the middle of it with his shield gone, horses rearing over him, riders spilling backwards, spears crossing at every angle. Straight lines of light cut down through the cloud, and at the top Christ leans out of the opening.
The picture is nearly all confusion, and everyone in the frame is falling except the one who caused it. Note that the light does not spread. It comes down in ruled beams, as though drawn with a straightedge, so it reads as something aimed rather than something ambient.
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