Sts Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

Raphael employs a realistic approach, rendering figures with careful attention to clothing and anatomy. The use of chiaroscuro creates pronounced light‑and‑shadow contrasts, giving the scene a three‑dimensional quality. Architectural elements such as columns and arches are rendered in a classical idiom, while a distant landscape with mountains and a statue adds depth to the setting.

The painting has been in the Ashmolean Museum’s holdings since the early twentieth century, acquired through a private donation. Its attribution to Raphael rests on stylistic analysis and documentary evidence linking the work to the artist’s early period in Rome, around the time he was developing his narrative fresco techniques.