Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)
St Peter Penitent
1639"I have chosen this painting because it moves me deeply. The Gospels tell us that Peter, after they had arrested Jesus, denied him three times, but only Luke tells us that when Jesus heard the third denial, "The Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter went out and wept bitterly." Peter was not a bad man, he was a weak man unable to fulfil the promises of loyalty he had made to Jesus. So this picture represents the fact that humans are flawed and fallible. Barbieri captures that universal human experience with great compassion. We should look at his painting and be humbled as we recall our own failings."
Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh and chair of the Scottish Arts Council
- Glossary (3 terms)
- Open
Commission
When an individual or organisation employs an artist to execute a particular project, the process and the resulting work are termed a ‘commission’.
Composition
The arrangement of different elements in a work of art.
Workshop
Specifically used for a group of artists or craftsmen working collaboratively, usually under the direction of a master, up to the mid-17th century. The phrase 'Workshop of…' is used to describe the origin of an artwork when the master artist had no hand in its creation.
- Glossary (3 terms)
- Open
Chiaroscuro
Derived from the Italian for "light-dark", describes the effect of light and dark in a work of art, especially when they are in strong contrast. It is a term particularly associated with painting of the 17th century.
Draughtsmanship
The ability to draw skilfully, often refers to technical drawing.
Foreshortening
The correct representation in perspective of an object or figure relative to its distance from the eye.
- Credits Purchased by the RI 1831; transferred 1859
- Medium Oil on canvas
- Size 103.70 x 85.80 cm (framed: 125.10 x 109.90 x 6.40 cm)
