Follower of Caravaggio

Follower of CARAVAGGIO (Milan, 1571 - Porto Ercole, 1610).
"St. Peter penitent".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Precise cleaning.
Measurements: 78 x 5 cm; 93 x 69 cm (frame).

In this canvas we see St. Peter showing his repentance, after having denied Christ three times after his capture on the Mount of Olives. The figure is worked with great naturalism, highlighting the wrinkles on the forehead and the expressiveness of his gaze. The tenebrist lighting used in the work gives a greater physical presence, three-dimensionality and intensity to the figure. These features, as well as the chromatic range used, are characteristic of the naturalistic baroque of Caravaggio and Ribera. The saint is depicted half-length, slightly tilted, with one of his shoulders uncovered. The thick brushstroke defines a rotund and deeply human figure, with an economy of color that is limited to a palette of brownish tones, which underlines the message of humility and mystical simplicity that the saint preached throughout his life.

The light follows the tenebrist tendency introduced by Caravaggio: a spotlight, artificial and directed. The author of this canvas thus continues the completely human interpretation that Caravaggio made of the sacred themes, especially in the last fifteen years of his life. It is also worth noting the restrained and almost monochromatic range of colors, which revolves around the ochre, earthy and white colors so typical of the mature Caravaggio.