Artwork
Guardroom with St Peter and the Angel
Guardroom with St Peter and the Angel is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1645 and is held in the collection of the Bode Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a guardroom scene in which a seated soldier, dressed in contemporary seventeenth-century armor, is visited by an angel who holds a scroll.
The painting depicts a guardroom scene in which a seated soldier, dressed in contemporary seventeenth-century armor, is visited by an angel who holds a scroll. The angel’s presence and the scroll likely signify divine revelation or guidance directed to the guard. The setting, a dimly lit room with halberds and a helmet on the floor, evokes a military or custodial context, emphasizing the contrast between earthly authority and spiritual intervention.
The scene reflects a moment of moral or spiritual awakening within an ordinary, martial environment, aligning with Teniers’ characteristic blend of everyday life and symbolic undercurrents.
Technique & Style
David Teniers the Younger executed Guardroom with St Peter and the Angel using oil paint applied to a copper support. This medium choice aligns with the artist's frequent use of copper panels for small-scale genre scenes, which allowed for fine detail and a smooth surface. The work, dated to 1645, depicts a guardroom interior populated by men and guards, rendered with the characteristic precision of Teniers' style. The painting is currently held in the Bode Museum's Gemäldegalerie collection in Berlin.
History & Provenance
David Teniers the Younger created the painting Guardroom with St Peter and the Angel in 1645. The work is executed in oil paint on a copper support. While one record suggests an inception date of 1670, the specific year 1645 is established as the primary date of creation.
The painting later entered the collection of the dealer Charles Sedelmeyer before eventually reaching the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it is currently housed at the Bode Museum.
The painting Guardroom with St Peter and the Angel by David Teniers the Younger is currently held by the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, which is located within the Bode Museum in Berlin. The work was created on copper and depicts a genre scene featuring guards and a prison setting. Historical records indicate that the piece was once owned by the art dealer Charles Sedelmeyer.
While the artwork is associated with the year 1645, some records also list an inception date of 1670.
Overview
Guardroom with St Peter and the Angel is a 1645 painting on copper by David Teniers the Younger. It is a genre scene held at the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
