Saint Peter in prayer

Saint Peter in prayer was a devotional subject that Stom treated with characteristic psychological intimacy. This 1636 version in the National Museum in Warsaw shows the apostle in solitary communion with God, stripped of the narrative drama that usually accompanies Petrine subjects. The painting likely reached Poland through the extensive networks of art collecting that connected Italian markets with Central European aristocratic collections. Stom's biblical subjects demonstrate the enduring vitality of the Caravaggist tradition in Sicily long after it had faded elsewhere in Europe.

A single light source from the upper left models Peter’s clasped hands and upturned face with warm golden tones. The saint’s bald head becomes a luminous dome against the surrounding darkness.