The Denial of St. Peter, c. 1623

Oil on canvasexpand_more

The Putnam Dana McMillan Fundexpand_more  71.78

This painting illustrates a scene from the Christian Bible. A young maidservant accuses the apostle Peter, in the yellow cloak, of knowing Jesus. Fearing for his own safety, Peter denies the acquaintance.

While working in Italy, the Dutch artist Gerrit van Honthorst earned the nickname Gerard of the Night for his dramatically lit night scenes. Like the Italian artist Caravaggio, whom he admired, Honthorst constructed psychologically intense paintings through the use of strong contrasts of light and shadow, close-ups of large working-class figures, and expressive hand gestures.

Conservation of this picture was made possible by Connie Nelson through the Art Champions (formerly Adopt-a-Painting) program.
Frame: Gift of the Friends of the Institute and the John R. Van Derlip Fund

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Gerrit van Honthorst, Denial of St. Peter (#701)
Details
Title
The Denial of St. Peter
Artist Life
1592–1656
Role
Artist
Accession Number
71.78
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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