Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), The conversion of Saint Bavo, 1624, Oil on canvas, 475 x 280 cm, St. Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent
Bishop Antoon Triest commissioned the painting for the high altar of St. Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. It is now displayed in the Saint Peter and Paul Chapel, also called the Rubens Chapel, in the semicircular ambulatory behind the high altar. The painting depicts Saint Bavo of Ghent (622–654 AD), a nobleman of the Frankish Kingdom who led a dissolute life before converting to Christianity. After his wife’s death, he was moved by Saint Amand’s preaching, renounced his wealth, and entered monastic life. He is shown ascending the steps of a church, flanked by figures representing the nobility he abandons and the religious community he joins.
Rubens includes numerous figures central to the saint’s story. Saint Amand and Saint Floribert welcome Bavo into the Benedictine Order. To the left, Saints Gertrude and Begga, his sisters, appear as crowned figures, both following Bavo’s example by becoming nuns. Saint Gertrude clutches a gold necklace, symbolising her rejection of wealth. Beside them stands a veiled woman, possibly Saint Agletrude, Bavo’s daughter. On the right, King Clothar and his son, King Dagobert, argue with a herald of Emperor Mauritius, who forbids soldiers from entering the Church. In the foreground, beggars receive alms, emphasising Bavo’s complete renunciation of his former status.
An oil sketch (modello) for the painting is currently in the National Gallery, London. It follows the 16th-century Flemish triptych format with a central panel and side wings. The final work, however, is a monumental single canvas, influenced by Paolo Veronese’s large-scale compositions designed to be viewed from below. Rubens uses exaggerated upward movement, dramatic lighting, and towering architecture to direct the viewer’s gaze toward Bavo’s ascension. The staircase metaphorically represents his spiritual transformation, reinforcing the themes of renunciation and redemption.
