St Peter praying

Saint Peter Praying, painted around 1650 during Stom's Sicilian period, depicts the apostle in the type of solitary devotional meditation that Caravaggist painters had made a specialty. The aging apostle, shown in contemplation rather than action, allowed Stom to explore the psychology of faith through the interplay of candlelight and shadow on a weathered face. Stom's mastery of candlelight effects was among the most technically accomplished of all Caravaggist painters, surpassing many of his contemporaries in the subtlety of his graduated shadows and the warmth of his artificial illumination.

Stom's characteristic single light source creates a focused pool of illumination on Peter's face and hands, the surrounding darkness functioning as both physical space and spiritual symbol. The rough textures of aged skin and coarse clothing are rendered with Caravaggist naturalism.