St. Paul, Hermit. Artist: Salvator Rosa (Italian, Arenella (Naples) 1615-1673 Rome). Dimensions: 11-1/2 x 7-5/8 in. (29.2 x 19.4 cm). Date: 1615-73.A poet, painter, printmaker, and actor, Rosa was a fascinating, if irascible, figure in early modern Italy, and a prolific, expressive draftsman. This drawing is possibly a study for his painting of Saint Paul in the wilderness, originally commissioned for the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, in Milan. The intensity of the saint's devotion, with his arms and gaze turned heavenward, is matched by the agitated landscape and the whirling energy of Rosa's frenetic and impassioned strokes. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. Author: SALVATOR ROSA.