Saint Peter Penitent

Saint Peter Penitent at the National Galleries of Scotland, painted in 1639, depicts the apostle's remorse after denying Christ. The Tears of Saint Peter was one of the Counter-Reformation's most important devotional subjects. Guercino's vivid early style, with its bold chiaroscuro and emotional immediacy, gave way after 1621 to a more classical manner influenced by the taste of Rome, creating two distinct bodies of work that represent the Baroque's competing impulses toward drama and order.

Peter's tear-streaked face is rendered with empathetic naturalism under dramatic lighting. The emotional intensity is concentrated in the face and clasped hands.