The Conversion of Saint Paul (Maíno)

The Conversion of St. Paul (Spanish: La conversión de san Pablo) is a 1614 painting by Juan Bautista Maíno, located in the collection of the National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC).

[not verified in body] According to the museum's experts, The Conversion of Saint Paul is one of the few remaining works painted by Maino, who is credited with introducing the figurative painting-style of Caravaggio and other early seventeenth-century Roman painters to Spain.

In this work, the artist's skills are demonstrated through the vigorous drawing and meticulous strokes on the edges as well as the sculptural depiction of the figures which is established by using light, contrasting and intense color.

The latter shows great stylistic similarities with the principal figure on the canvas of the Trinity (1612–1620), part of the altarpiece Maíno created for the convent of Our Lady of the Conception in his hometown of Pastrana.

In addition to being altered and repainted, The Conversion of Saint Paul was in a serious state of degradation due to a fire that occurred on 1 April 1985 in the municipal offices of Barcelona where it was exhibited.

Given the fragility of the canvas, it was decided to change the frame to a size consistent with the original artwork, with the aim of preserving unharmed what remained of the already considerably mutilated painting.