Elymas was a Jewish sorcerer in the retinue of Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul at Paphos in Cyprus. He was sharply reproved by Paul, and struck with instant blindness for opposing the religious inquiries of the proconsul, who was abandoning idolatry and superstition, and embracing the gospel, Acts 13:6-12. His blindness was to continue “for a season,” and may have led to his spiritual illumination.

George Baxter’s 1855 print was based on Raphael’s cartoon (sketch). The so-called Raphael Cartoons, from which the image of this print is derived, are seven full size designs for tapestries by the great Italian Renaissance artist Raphael (1483-1520). They illustrate passages from the Bible concerning the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. None of them is smaller than ten feet high by thirteen feet wide.

This print is a Baxter-process engraving and oil-colour woodcut on wove paper, laid down on heavy wove paper. The scene is an ornate interior with marble floor and columns. Elymas is front right of the image, Saint Paul front left holding a book decorated on the cover with a Cross. The Proconsul L Sergius Paulus sits on his throne on a platform wearing a laurel crown, and surrounded by followers, two of whom hold large scrolls. The platform has stone carving, a military trophy decoration. Through the right arch in the background a hilly landscape can be seen.