The Denial of Saint Peter

By Caravaggio, 1610
JPG • 3904 × 2904 PX • 1.1 MB
Curatorial Notes

Painted in 1610, just months before Caravaggio's death, this work depicts the moment Saint Peter denies knowing Jesus following his arrest, as narrated in the Gospels (Mt 26:69–75; Mk 14:66–72; Lk 22:54–62; Jn 18:15–27). In the courtyard of the high priest, a woman accuses the apostle of being a disciple of Christ, while a soldier reinforces the accusation. A particularly interesting detail lies in the figures' gestures: the woman's two pointing fingers, together with the soldier's single finger, symbolize Peter's three accusations and three denials. With his hands turned toward his chest and an expression marked by fear and guilt, the apostle reveals the inner conflict of a man who, shortly before, had promised never to abandon his Master. Caravaggio eliminates almost all secondary elements, focusing attention on the faces, gestures, and contrast between light and darkness. Probably executed in Naples, this is one of the artist's final paintings and represents the last phase of his style, characterized by psychological intensity and simplicity of composition.

Artwork Identification

Title The Denial of Saint Peter
Title (PT) A Negação de São Pedro
Title (ES) La negación de San Pedro
Artist Caravaggio
Artist Bio Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio (1571–1610), was an Italian painter and one of the leading figures of the Baroque period. Born in Lombardy, he developed his career in Rome, where he revolutionized religious painting by depicting sacred figures with a realistic human appearance, using ordinary people as models and strong contrasts between light and shadow. After killing a man in a fight in 1606, he fled Rome and worked in Naples, Malta, and Sicily. His paintings, characterized by naturalism and dramatic intensity, profoundly influenced European art throughout the 17th century.
Date 1610
Work Type Painting

Location & Collection

License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
Ars Sancta