Liberation of Saint Peter
Historical Context
Murillo's "Liberation of Saint Peter" (1665-1667) in the Hermitage depicts the angel freeing the apostle from prison, as recounted in Acts. The painting demonstrates Murillo's mature mastery of supernatural light effects, with the angel's radiance penetrating the darkness of the prison cell. Murillo's warmly human religious paintings, with their characteristic soft light and accessible emotional register, made him the most popular Spanish painter in northern Europe during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, his work collected with avid enthusiasm in England and France.
Technical Analysis
The angel's luminous figure illuminates the sleeping guards and the awakening Peter, with Murillo's soft, atmospheric technique creating a convincing vision of supernatural radiance within the dark prison.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the angel's luminous figure penetrating the darkness — Murillo's mature supernatural light effects at their most dramatic.
- ◆Look at the sleeping guards — their oblivious slumber contrasting with the supernatural activity happening around them.
- ◆Observe the awakening Peter, his face registering the transition from sleep to astonishment as the divine liberation becomes real.
- ◆Find how Murillo's soft, atmospheric technique makes the angel's light convincing — not a spotlight but a natural-seeming luminosity emanating from the celestial figure.
