Daniel in the lions' den

Daniel in the Lions' Den, painted around 1633, depicts the Old Testament prophet saved by divine intervention—a subject popular in Counter-Reformation art for its theme of faith rewarded. Pietro da Cortona, born Pietro Berrettini in the Tuscan town of Cortona in 1596, had by this date established himself as one of the leading painters in Rome, working for the Barberini family and other major patrons. His position alongside Bernini and Borromini as one of the three great creators of Roman Baroque style gave him access to the most prestigious commissions in 17th-century Rome, and his approach to illusionistic ceiling painting defined the grandest ambitions of the era.

The dramatic scene employs strong chiaroscuro to heighten the tension between the vulnerable prophet and the surrounding lions. Cortona's dynamic composition and masterful rendering of animal anatomy demonstrate the Baroque concern with combining emotional intensity and naturalistic detail.