Saint Paul
Saint Paul is shown seated, as a mature man with a weathered face and a long beard. He wears a full toga and his face is turned slightly towards his left shoulder. A book rests on his legs, held by his left hand. In his right hand he holds a sword, its point directed towards the ground.
Born in Tarsus in Cilicia, now part of Turkey, Saul was initially hostile to Christians before converting and taking the name Paul. He played a major part in the spread of Christianity, particularly in Asia Minor and Greece. According to tradition, he was martyred in Rome at the same time as Saint Peter: Paul was beheaded and Peter crucified. The sword, the instrument of his martyrdom, is his most frequent attribute. This sculpture underwent an anoxic treatment in 2019.
It comes from the church of Saint-Paul des Rivages, a district on the outskirts of Dinant that once housed a leper colony.