Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (circle), Saint Peter

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (circle)
Venice, 18th century

Saint Peter
oil on canvas cm. 47x39
In frame, not contemporary.

The painting is a very faithful replica of the well-known subject of the Piazzetta, successfully taken up by Marco Alvise Pitteri in his series of engravings of the Twelve Apostles with the Eternal Father, Christ, the Virgin Mary and Saint Paul. The relined work, in excellent condition, represents one of the happiest subjects of the production of the Piazzetta. Saint Peter is represented almost from the front, his gaze turned upwards. The hands, in the lower part of the canvas, both firmly hold the key - a typical attribute of the saint.
A version of the work attributed to Piazzetta was auctioned at Christie's, New York, in 1980.