The Denial of Peter by Gerard Van Honthorst, Mark 14:66-72, Bible.Gallery
The Denial of Peter is a oil on canvas painting by Gerard Van Honthorst (1592–1656), created in c. 1620. Measuring 197 × 150 cm, it depicts the biblical scene from Mark 14:66-72. This painting is housed at Musée des beaux-arts, Palais des ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne, Dijon.
Artwork Description
This painting illustrates a scene from the Christian Bible. A young maidservant accuses the apostle Peter, in the yellow cloak, of knowing Jesus. Fearing for his own safety, Peter denies the acquaintance.
While working in Italy, the Dutch artist Gerrit van Honthorst earned the nickname Gerard of the Night for his dramatically lit night scenes. Like the Italian artist Caravaggio, whom he admired, Honthorst constructed psychologically intense paintings through the use of strong contrasts of light and shadow, close-ups of large working-class figures, and expressive hand gestures.