Saint Peter, Giovanni Battista Beinaschi (fossano C. 1634 - Naples 1688) Workshop

Giovanni Battista Beinaschi (Fossano c. 1634 - Naples 1688) workshop
Penitent Saint Peter

Oil on canvas
80 x 60 cm
Framed 97 x 77 cm

Conservation status: Good general condition, presence of restorations

The work shows us an intense image of St. Peter the Apostle, portrayed according to the typical iconography that sees him as a mature man, with his hands joined and clasped in prayer, while his gaze is directed towards heaven in a gesture of devout religiosity.

The figure of the Apostle is depicted with a profound scenographic setting in a strongly dramatic and baroque style, vigorous, with marked somatic features, clutching the keys to Paradise, his inconographic attribute (‘To you I will give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven’, Matthew 16:19).

The backlight effects and a magical atmosphere of chiaroscuro make the character dynamic, oriented towards a light source that laps against his face.

Studying the stylistic characteristics and details, we can circumscribe its attribution to the late Baroque painter Giovan Battista Beinaschi (1634 - 1688), whose prolific activity was concentrated between Rome, where he was trained, and Naples. Nevertheless, he moved frequently throughout his career between Turin, Parma, possibly Bologna and Genoa, assimilating varied artistic influences from each place.

If, at first, he showed a leaning towards Roman classicism, this influence was soon supplanted by an increasingly pronounced rapprochement to the Baroque cultural front: many critics, in particular, place Beinaschi's personality in the current of the ‘Tenebristi painters’ (although active in the second half of the 17th century);

In our case, a comparison with similar subjects painted in Rome around 1670/80, such as ‘the weeping of St. Peter’ in the Durazzo Pallavicini collection in Genoa(https://www.museidigenova.it/it/le-lacrime-di-san-pietro ) * is sufficient.

*Giovanni Battista Beinaschi (Fassano, 1636 - Naples, 1688) - Oil on canvas, 91 x 78 cm.
Genoa, Strada Nuova Museums


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an attractive wooden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

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