The Denial of St. Peter

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

Credit: The Putnam Dana McMillan Fund