Vernissage
Saint Peter Repentant

Georges de La Tour

French, 1593–1652

Saint Peter Repentant, 1645

Oil on canvas

114 × 95 cm (45 × 37 ½ in.)

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Gift of the Hanna Fund

During Jesus’s arrest on the night of the Last Supper, the apostle Peter denied knowing him. Although Christ forgave his betrayal, Peter was consumed by guilt. Georges de La Tour represents Peter as an old man, reflecting on his past actions in a state of perpetual repentance. The apostle’s red-rimmed eyes and the uncertain light of the lantern suggest anxious sleepless nights; muted colors and simple forms give visual expression to Peter’s somber emotions. Unlike other artists inspired by Caravaggio, La Tour worked in relative isolation in northeastern France, and his connection to his Italian counterpart remains unclear.

The colours it's made of

Choose a colour to find other works that are full of it.

See it on the Cleveland Museum of Art's website

More by Georges de La Tour

See all
The Fortune-Teller
The Penitent Magdalen

Hanging in