The MNAC is exhibiting 'The Conversion of Saint Paul', recently attributed to Juan Bautista Maíno

After a long process of restoration, 'The Conversion of Saint Paul', painted by Juan Bautista Maíno (Pastrana, 1581 – Madrid, 1649), is being exhibited in the exhibition rooms of the MNAC's (Barcelona, Spain) permanent collection from until the end of September 2012.

Experts at the Museum have been able to identify The Conversion of Saint Paul as one of the few surviving works by Maíno, one of the painters who introduced the figurative art of Caravaggio and the circle of painters active in Rome in the early 17th century into Spain.

This canvas, which was badly damaged in 1985 in a fire in the municipal premises where it was kept, has formed part of the Museum's collection since 1952, though it was attributed to the Valencian painter José Vergara. This new attribution makes an important addition to the catalogue of a key artist for understanding 17th-century Spanish painting and one who has left very few works, no more than 44. As well as The Conversion of Saint Paul, the MNAC also keeps the Portrait of Fray Alonso de Santo Tomás (1648-1649) in its collections, one of the Dominican painter's last works.

To cast light on the work's genesis and attribution and explain the complex and delicate process of restoration its has undergone, The Conversion of Saint Paul is now being exhibited in a room of its own, along with a preliminary painting from a private collection, an X-ray showing the state it was in before work started, as well as a video explaining the process by which the canvas was restored.

Location: National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC) Palau Nacional. Parque de Montjuïc. 08038 Barcelona. Spain.
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm. Sundays from 10am to 2.30pm.