Artwork
Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man
Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Nicolas Poussin. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows Saints Peter and John performing the miracle of healing a lame man, a scene drawn from the Acts of the Apostles.
The painting shows Saints Peter and John performing the miracle of healing a lame man, a scene drawn from the Acts of the Apostles. In the composition Peter, identified by his keys, and John, holding a censer, extend their hands toward the afflicted figure, emphasizing divine intervention and apostolic authority. The work functions as a visual sermon on charity and the continuation of Christ’s miracles through the early Church.
Executed in oil on canvas in 1655, it exemplifies Nicolas Poussin’s mastery of classical composition and religious narrative, and today resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1655, this religious painting by Nicolas Poussin utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work's physical dimensions are recorded as approximately 125.7 to 126 centimeters in height and 165 to 165.1 centimeters in width. While the specific handling of the brushwork or the current state of conservation is not detailed in the available records, the piece is formally classified as a painting depicting a biblical narrative involving Saints Peter and John.
The selection of oil on canvas represents the standard medium for large-scale religious compositions of this period, allowing for the detailed rendering of the figures and the architectural setting implied by the subject matter.
History & Provenance
The painting Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man was created by Nicolas Poussin in 1655 using oil on canvas. It portrays the biblical figures Peter, John, and a lame man in a composition typical of the artist’s religious subjects. The work is documented in the records of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been part of the museum’s collection since its acquisition, making the Met the current owner.
Its date of execution is recorded as 1655, and the material and dimensions correspond to the specifications listed in the source documentation.
Overview
Painted in 1655, Nicolas Poussin's Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man illustrates the biblical narrative from Acts 3:1–10, where the apostles restore the mobility of a beggar at the Temple gate. The composition is structured with classical rigor, featuring the figures arranged on stone steps before a monumental architectural backdrop that evokes the grandeur of ancient Rome. Poussin places the central action, the moment of healing, at the visual center, flanked by the apostles in vibrant robes and the recumbent figure of the lame man.
The surrounding crowd, rendered with distinct individuality, reacts with a mixture of awe and curiosity, their gestures and gazes directing the viewer's attention to the miracle. Executed in oil on canvas, the work exemplifies Poussin's late style, characterized by a restrained palette of warm earth tones, deep reds, and blues, and a focus on intellectual clarity over emotional excess. Created during the artist's final years in Rome, this painting reflects his deep engagement with Stoic philosophy and his mastery of historical narrative, serving as a testament to his enduring influence on French academic painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolas Poussin (UK: US: French:; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was a leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome.
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