The liberation of Peter
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| The liberation of Peter |
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| Gerrit van Honthorst , 1616/1618 |
| Oil on canvas |
| 129 × 179 cm |
| State museums in Berlin |
The Liberation of Peter is the title of a painting by the Dutch painter Gerard van Honthorst from the years 1616 to 1618, which the artist created in Rome. It depicts a scene from the Acts of the Apostles ( Acts 12 : 6-7 EU ) in which an angel asks the freed Peter to leave his prison. The picture has been part of today's Berlin Gemäldegalerie since 1815 and is exhibited in the gallery in the Berlin Kulturforum .
Image content and interpretation
The scene depicts the moment when the angel points out to a surprised Peter that he is going to be released. Through the dungeon door opened by the angel, a bright light falls on the face of the surprised Peter. In this picture, Honthorst reduces the scene to the words Stand up nimbly! and has thus created a concentrated masterpiece that stands out due to its virtuoso lighting and the intense body language of the two figures. Van Honthorst went to Rome when Caravaggio's style had reached its peak, overcoming the mannerism of his homeland. The picture was recognized as a masterpiece and copied several times. The Dresden Kupferstichkabinett has a drawing that was originally considered a preliminary study by Honthorst himself, but is now ascribed to Abraham Bloemaert .
Provenance
The painting was commissioned by the Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani , a knowledgeable collector who promoted Caravaggism . In 1815, Honthorst's picture from Giustiniani's collection was included in the holdings of the then royal Prussian picture gallery .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Irene Geismeier in: Gemäldegalerie Berlin , Prestel-Verlag Munich, 1998, ISBN 3-7913-1911-6 , p. 80