Artwork
Saint Peter weeping
Saint Peter weeping is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Luca Giordano. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting's main subject is the Denial of Peter, illustrating the apostle's reaction after denying Jesus three times as prophesied.
Luca Giordano's Saint Peter Weeping, created in 1700, depicts the biblical figure Saint Peter in a moment of profound sorrow. The painting's main subject is the Denial of Peter, illustrating the apostle's reaction after denying Jesus three times as prophesied. As a work of religious art, the piece focuses on the emotional weight of Peter's remorse and subsequent weeping.
The composition serves as a visual representation of repentance and the human capacity for regret following a failure of faith.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for large-scale religious compositions of the period. Giordano’s handling of light and shadow accentuates the emotional intensity of Peter’s lamentation, while his swift brushwork conveys immediacy. The composition balances dramatic gesture with restrained coloration, reflecting Baroque tendencies toward theatricality. These formal qualities contribute to the painting’s overall impact as a devotional image.
History & Provenance
Luca Giordano created the oil-on-canvas painting Saint Peter weeping in 1700. The work, which depicts the Denial of Peter, measures 66 cm in height and 55 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
No further details regarding the specific commission, original patron, or intermediate ownership transfers are provided in the available records.
Overview
Luca Giordano’s oil painting titled Saint Peter weeping dates from the year 1700. Executed in the Baroque period, the work portrays the apostle Peter in a moment of solemn contemplation. The canvas is part of the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is displayed among other religious works of the era.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Giordano was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Giordano was one of the most celebrated artists of the Neapolitan Baroque, whose vast output included altarpieces, mythological paintings and…
