Booklet from the 1761 Salon:

"By M. Hallé, Professor.
16. [...]
17. S. Vincent de Paule, preaching.
Painting eleven feet high by six wide. "

Saint Vincent de Paul is depicted in the pulpit of the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, famous for its rood screen, which can be seen in the painting at far left. A rood screen is a rostrum and a stone or wooden enclosure separating the liturgical choir (at the back of the church) from the nave (the bay leading from the portal to the altar). This tribune takes its name from the first words of the Latin formula " jube, domine, benedicere " (" daigne, Seigneur, me bénir ") used by the lector before the Matins lessons.
The vertical composition of the painting follows an orderly pattern. The vertical composition of the painting respects a very classical ordering: from the top of the pulpit, the restricted space of the scene, Vincent de Paule signifies his preaching, professes the signifier. Below, the effect of the preaching is conveyed by the variety of expressions on the figures in the audience. The scene takes place in the nave of the church, while the performance is performed above, from the pulpit.