JOHANN HEINRICH SCHÖNFELD (ATTR.) 1609 Biberach an der Riß - 1684 Augsburg SAINT PAUL AND THE SHIPWRECK ON MALTA / SAINT PAUL SLINGS THE SNAKE AWAY INTO THE FIRE FEUER Oil on canvas (old relined). 65 x 82 cm (F. 76 x 91,5 cm). Verso: Stretcher with old wax seal (unidentified). Part. min. old restored. Frame. Wachssiegel (ungedeutet). Part. min. altrest. Rahmen. The theme, very rarely found in fine art, has its origin in Apg 28:1-6:1 'And when we were saved, we learned that the name of the island was Malta. 2 And the natives showed us (the) extraordinary friendliness. They lit a fire and brought us all in because of the onset of rain and cold. 3 When Paul gathered up a heap of brushwood and put it on the fire, a snake came out of it because of the heat and bit his hand. 4 When the natives saw the animal hanging on his hand, they said to each other, "This man is certainly a murderer. Though he has saved himself from the sea, yet the [goddess of] justice will not let him live." 5 But he slings the snake away into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 But they expected him to swell or suddenly fall down dead. When they had waited a long time and seen that nothing unusual happened to him, their opinion changed and they said he was a god.' aber schüttelte das Tier ab ins Feuer und erlitt keinen Schaden. 6 Sie erwarteten jedoch, Provenance: South German Private Collection.