Who painted Saint Peter?

Saint Peter was painted by Marco Zoppo in c. 1468.

Where can I see Saint Peter?

Saint Peter is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Saint Peter?

Saint Peter is associated with Early Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Saint Peter?

Museum-quality prints of Saint Peter are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Saint Peter

Marco Zoppo , 1468

Saint Peter is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Marco Zoppo. It dates from 1468 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Saint Peter holds a book, dressed simply and shown in a traditional manner. Marco Zoppo worked in tempera on a poplar panel, common practice in 1468, but his handling of it to suggest depth stands out at a time when artists were beginning to experiment.

Subject & Meaning

The work stands as a mid-fifteenth-century interpretation of the saint, intended for veneration within a Christian context.

Created in 1468 by Marco Zoppo, this tempera painting on a poplar panel depicts Saint Peter as its sole subject. Classified as a religious work, the image functions as a devotional representation of the apostle. While the specific attributes visible within the composition are not enumerated in the available records, the work's identification as a half-length figure suggests a focus on the saint's individual identity rather than a narrative scene.

Originally possibly housed in the church of Santa Giustina in Venice, the panel served a liturgical or commemorative purpose before entering private collections. The work stands as a mid-fifteenth-century interpretation of the saint, intended for veneration within a Christian context.

Technique & Style

Marco Zoppo's 1468 Saint Peter is a religious painting executed in tempera on a poplar panel support. The work is vertically oriented and of relatively small scale, measuring 50.6 cm in height by 31.4 cm in width. This format suggests it was originally part of a larger dismembered altarpiece rather than a standalone piece.

The choice of traditional tempera on poplar aligns with established fifteenth-century Italian workshop practices, favoring the opaque, matte finish and precise linear handling characteristic of the medium before the widespread adoption of oil painting.

History & Provenance

The painting Saint Peter by Marco Zoppo is dated to 1468, aligning with the artist's documented activity in Venice during this period. Its early provenance traces to the church of Santa Giustina in Venice, where it remained at least until 1581. By 1921, the work had entered the collection of the dealer Henry Harris in London.

It was subsequently acquired by Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi in Florence before being sold to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in New York on 18 June 1937. The Kress Foundation gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1939, where it entered the Samuel H. Kress Collection and remains held. While the sources detail this acquisition history, they do not list specific dates or titles for public exhibitions of the work.

Legacy

The painting's provenance, possibly originating in a Venetian church, later recorded with a London dealer, and acquired by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in 1937 before being gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1939, documents a journey that underscores its place within the corpus of Marco Zoppo's work. Its inclusion in the Samuel H. Kress Collection, a widely studied assemblage of Renaissance art, has contributed to ongoing scholarly discussion of Saint Peter's iconography in early Venetian painting.

Overview

Marco Zoppo's Saint Peter, created around 1468, is an Italian Early Renaissance painting executed in tempera on a poplar panel. This religious depiction reflects the artistic trends of the Quattrocento, particularly Zoppo's engagement with devotional subjects during his active period in Bologna. The work exemplifies the traditional approach to sacred imagery while subtly incorporating elements of emerging artistic exploration in the period.

Context

Marco Zoppo, born in Cento in 1433, was a significant figure in the Early Renaissance, training under masters like Lippo Dalmasio and Francesco Squarcione. His artistic development occurred alongside contemporaries such as Andrea Mantegna. Primarily active in Bologna, Zoppo frequently explored sacred themes, producing numerous variations of devotional subjects that resonated with the artistic currents of the Quattrocento.