The Denial of St. Peter by Caravaggio in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, January 2020

The Denial of Saint Peter
1610


Object Details

Artist: Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) (Italian, Milan or Caravaggio 1571–1610 Porto Ercole)

Date: 1610

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 37 x 49 3/8 in. (94 x 125.4 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Gift of Herman and Lila Shickman, and Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997

Accession Number: 1997.167


Caravaggio’s late works depend for their dramatic effect on brightly lit areas standing in contrast to a dark background. The picture, a marvel of narrative concision, was painted in the last months of Caravaggio’s tempestuous life and marks an extreme stage in his revolutionary style. Standing before a fireplace, Peter is accused of being a follower of Jesus. The pointing finger of the soldier and two fingers of the woman allude to the three accusations and to Peter’s three denials. In 1613 the painting belonged to Guido Reni, who received it from the engraver Luca Ciamberlano as compensation for debts.


Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437986