Spanish, 18th Century
The Crucifixion of St. Peter the Apostle (or The Raising of the Petrine Cross)
oil on canvas
Dominated by dark earthly colors and dramatic blood-like undertones, this portrait of Peter the Apostle (also: Simon Peter, Simon, and later Saint Peter) after he has been nailed to the cross shows the moment when several Roman workers and soldiers pull his cross upwards into a vertical position thanks to the help of a pulley and other various heavy-duty torture tools.

Peter had been a Jewish fisherman in Bethsaida who befriended Jesus, and after Jesus' crucifixion, Peter traveled about the empire to found the Church of Antioch (Greece) as well as the Church of Rome--the capital of the Empire. His ministry was conferred onto him by Jesus himself, and Peter served as the first bishop of Rome (i.e. the first pope). The cruel and unpopular Emperor Nero called for Peter's death (and for that of many Christians blamed for an enormous fire). Peter chose to be crucified upside down (as we see here--hence the "Petrine" Cross) so as to remain humble and so that his crucifixion would not be directly compared to Jesus' since he felt unworthy when compared to his Savior.

Peter was killed on the Vatican Hill and was buried there, where St. Peter's Basilica now stands. And today millions of faithful visit his burial site and the famous basilica named after him in Vatican City. This large-scale and dramatic work makes us remember how dramatic and dangerous the practice of early Christianity was for three centuries--and how Christians had to wait until Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 in order to be able to practice their new religion safely throughout the empire.
25" x 47"; framed 33.5" x 56"