Saint Peter Repentant | Cleveland Museum of Art

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Saint Peter Repentant, 1645

Georges de La Tour (French, 1593-1652)

oil on canvas, Framed: 140.3 x 119.1 x 7 cm (55 3/16 x 46 7/8 x 2 3/4 in.); Unframed: 114 x 95 cm (44 7/8 x 37 3/8 in.). Gift of the Hanna Fund 1951.454

Location:

217 Italian Baroque

Description

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. 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.

Inscription

signed upper right: Georgs delaTour Invet et Pin / 1645

Exhibition History

Columbus, OH, Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, november 8-December 16, 1956: "Masterpieces," cat. # 21. CMA, October 29, 1971-January 2, 1972: "Caravaggio and His Followers," cat. # 39, repr. p. 119. Paris, Orangerie des Tuileries, Palais du Louvre, May-September 1972: "Georges de La Tour,' ct. #23, pp. 40, 43, 51, 77, 108, 111-112, 188, 190-193, 261, 263. New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, May 26-August 22, 1982: "French Painting in the 17th century," cat. #. Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, September 18-November 28, 1982. Washington, DC, The National Gallery of Art; Fort Worth, TX Kimbell Art Museum. "Georges de La Tour and His World" 10/6/96 - 5/10/97 exhib. cat. no. 24 p. 112; color repr. p. 113, p. 272.Paris: Galeries nationales du Grand Palais. "Georges de la Tour (1593-1652)" 10/1/97 - 1/26/98; exh. cat. no. 47, color repr. p. 225, pp. 224-225, detail fig. 68, p. 225; fig. 82, p. 254.Bergamo, Italy: Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (organized by Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti/Associazione Giubileo 2000-Bergamo/Diocesi di Bergamo) "The Light of Truth. Caravaggio, La Tour, Rembrandt, Zurbarán [La Luce del Vero. Caravaggio, La Tour, Rembrandt, Zurbarán)" 9/9 - 12/17/00National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo (3/7/2005 - 5/29/2005): "Georges de la Tour" ex. cat. no. 22, p. 98-99.The Frick Collection (November 8, 2006 - January 28, 2007): "Masterpieces of European Painting from The Cleveland Museum of Art", exh. cat. no. 11, p. 56-59.Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage (March 29, 2007 - July 8, 2007): "Masterpieces of European Painting from the Cleveland Museum of Art"Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain (2/23/201 - 6/12/2016): "Georges de la Tour" ex. cat. no. 27, p. 150-151.

Research

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Library materials about Georges de La Tour (43)