16th Century, Saint Peter

16th century
Saint Peter
Oil on panel, cm 64 x 43

The protagonist of the work of the sixteenth century is Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and first pope of the Catholic Church. First known by the name of Simon, Peter was a humble fisherman from Capernaum who met Jesus through his brother Andrew. Jesus called him with the promise to make him "a fisherman of men" and from then on he was always at his side. In the painting, the Saint is well recognizable by the great keys he holds in his hand, access to the Kingdom of Heaven, which Jesus promised him when he founded his Church on him. In the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 16, 18-19) Jesus addresses the apostle with these words: "You are Peter and on this stone I will build my Church and the powers of hell will not prevail over it. To you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven: all that you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and all that you melt on earth shall be melted in heaven".  The primacy and authority of Peter were recognized by the other apostles: he was the first of them to have performed miracles, baptized and organized the Church. It is certain that he went to preach in Rome where he died under the persecution of Nero, between 64 and 67 A.D. In the work the physiognomy of Peter does not differ from the traditional one, fixed already by the fifth century on the basis of the description of Eusebius of Caesarea (III-IV century), which presents him with curly hair and short beard and frizzy. The clothes worn are simple: a tunic with bright yellow-ochre tones surmounted by a dark pallium that falls on his arm. The expression of Peter is striking, who gives a serene smile and looks raptured towards the sky, whose kingdom he will soon be guardian. 

The object is in good condition