Bidspirit auction | Saint Peter. Spanish School. 19th

Saint Peter. Spanish School. 19th Century - Oil on canvas depicting Saint Peter, half-length, with his head slightly bowed, a white beard, and a face illuminated by a contemplative expression. He holds the keys of the Kingdom in his right hand and a closed book in his left, iconographic attributes that identify him as Prince of the Apostles. The dark, neutral background emphasizes the spiritual intensity of the figure, which emerges with great artistic force thanks to the chiaroscuro treatment. The brushwork is firm, with soft impasto in the modeling of the face and the folds of the golden tunic. The work responds to the tradition of the Spanish Golden Age, heir to tenebrist naturalism and the ideal of introspective holiness promoted by the Counter-Reformation. The expressive quality of the portrait and the sobriety of the composition reflect the devotional nature of 17th-century Baroque painting. Dimensions: 82 x 61 cm and 86 x 66 cm.