Curatorial Notes
For this depiction of Peter denying that he is a follower of Jesus (seen under arrest in the background at right), Utrecht artist Hendrick ter Brugghen embraced the strong contrast of light and shadow and emotional urgency popularized by Italian painter Caravaggio. The dancing sparks of the fire illuminate the servant’s condemnatory finger and shroud the fearful saint in shadow, underlining the Dutch taste for naturalistic treatments of lighting in the 17th century.
Artwork Identification
Title The Denial of Saint Peter
Title (PT) A Negação de São Pedro
Title (ES) La negación de San Pedro
Artist Hendrick Terbrugghen
Artist Bio Hendrick ter Brugghen (Dutch, 1588-1629)
Date c. 1626
Work Type Painting
Location & Collection
Institution Art Institute of Chicago
Source View Museum Page
License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
