Last Judgement: Saint Peter

Colijn de Coter painted this Saint Peter from a Last Judgement altarpiece around 1509 in Brussels. The inclusion of Saint Peter in Last Judgement compositions reflected his role as the gatekeeper of heaven. De Coter's large-scale religious paintings for Bavarian collectors demonstrate the international demand for Brussels painting. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

Oil on panel with de Coter's Brussels workshop technique and rich coloring. The apostle's monumental figure demonstrates the painter's command of large-scale devotional imagery.