St. Paul Landing in Italy

The present watercolor, exhibited in 1850, is unusual in Palmer's oeuvre as it deals with a specific subject rather than landscape or pastoral. Palmer exhibited it at the Old Water-Colour Society the same year as Robinson Crusoe Guiding his Raft in the Creek (City Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent, UK), another literary subject. Stylistically the present watercolor anticipates his two early Milton subjects, which Palmer executed circa 1855-6 (see Lister, op.cit., M1, M2) which were separate from Leonard Valpy's commission.

The watercolor depicts the moment of St. Paul's arrival, after a perilous journey by sea on the Italian peninsula, fulfilling his long-standing desire to visit Rome and preach the Gospel. It is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles chapter 28, vv.11-16.