Tears of St. Peter

  • Artist: El Greco Theotokopoulos
  • Creation date: 1590-tallet
  • Object type: Painting

On display: Room 038 The Collection Exhibition - The collector Christian Langgaard

About

In this painting the apostle Peter, depicted in half-length against a dark mountainside, is recognizable from the Keys of Heaven and from his characteristic white hair and beard; Peter’s attire, a golden robe over a blue or green tunic, is another conventional element in his depictions. We encounter him here as he distraughtly repents having disavowed Jesus the night before the Crucifixion. A woman in the background to the right of Peter is carrying an alabaster jar, the attribute of Mary Magdalene. She has just received the angel’s message that Christ has risen and is on her way to inform Peter.

During the Catholic Church’s Counter-Reformation, the motif of the repentant Peter was frequently used in Spanish and Italian art to promote the significance of the sacrament of penance and reconciliation. In El Greco’s depiction, the experience of religious faith is conveyed through Peter’s heavenward gaze and folded hands, as well as through the light illuminating him from above. The emotional intensity is heightened by El Greco’s characteristic colours and dynamic, diagonal composition.

El Greco (The Greek) was the sobriquet of Doménikos Theotokópoulos. He was born in Crete but moved at an early age to Venice, where he studied under Titian and was influenced by the mannerism of Tintoretto. He subsequently lived a few years in Rome before relocating to Toledo in Spain, where he spent the latter half of his life and where he created his most celebrated works, including St. Peter Repentant, of which he painted several versions.

Text: Nina Denney Ness

From "Highlights. Art from Antiquity to 1945", Nasjonalmuseet 2014, ISBN 978-82-8154-088-0

Artist/producer

El Greco Theotokopoulos

Visual artist

Born 1541, death 1614

Work info

Creation date:
1590-tallet
Other titles:
Den angrende Peter (NOR)
Object type:
Materials and techniques:
Olje på lerret
Material:
Dimensions:
  • Depth: 3.5 cm
  • Width: 79.5 cm
  • Height: 102.4 cm
Keywords:
Classification:
Acquisition:
Bequeathed by Christian Langaard, acquired 1923
Inventory no.:
NG.M.01346
Cataloguing level:
Single object
Owner and collection:
Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design, The Fine Art Collections
Photo:
Børre Høstland/Høstland, Børre