Spanish Gothic school; 13th century.

Spanish Gothic school; 13th century.
"Saint Peter".
Carved and polychrome wood.
It presents faults in the carving and later polychromy.
Measurements: 68 x 21 x 15 cm.
Polychrome wood carving representing the apostle St. Peter, recognizable by the presence of a key that clutches with his left hand, while with the right hand blesses. The sculpture stands out for its rotundity, hieratism and strict frontality, a feature that is defined by an unworked back. This indicates that it is a work originally conceived to be seen from the front, probably as an ornamental part of a sculptural cycle made up of more figures. As for the carving, it is remarkable the work of the tunic that has numerous details in relief corresponding to the ornamentation of the fabric. With the arrival of the Gothic period, a substantial aesthetic change took place throughout Europe, both in architecture and in painting and sculpture. The symbolic and timeless hieratism of the Romanesque gave way to a desire for reality and narrative sense that had its roots in classical sculpture and forced artists to take nature as a model. Gothic sculptors therefore sought to represent the visible world as it is. In this way they try to humanize the gestures and attitudes of the characters, which acquire individuality. Aesthetic conventions were left behind -such as the large eyes standing out from the rest of the face, which symbolized the soul of the character- and a naturalistic representation of faces, anatomy, clothing, etc. was sought. Following this new aesthetic line, the figures abandoned their vertical, symmetrical and hieratic postures to adopt others that were increasingly more expressive and gestural, with greater realism in movement. At the same time, they seek to represent the emotions of the characters through eloquent gestures of the face and hands.

St. Peter (Bethsaida, c. 1 B.C. - Rome, 67) was, according to the New Testament, a fisherman, known for being one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. The Catholic Church identifies him through the apostolic succession as the first Pope, based, among other arguments, on the words addressed to him by Jesus: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the power of Death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." St. Peter could be said to have been Jesus' confessor, his closest disciple, both being united by a very special bond, as narrated in both the canonical and apocryphal Gospels.