Description:
man; religion - Christian
Label Text:
Originally part of a predella, the lowest section of an altarpiece, this panel depicts the martyrdom of Saint Peter of Verona (1205 - 1252). According to his legend, Peter, a Dominican monk, was attacked while traveling from Como to Milan, in northern Italy. The story is told in continuous narrative, showing more than one event in the same painting. This technique originated in the Middle Ages, when pictures were an important means of teaching a largely illiterate population.
The series begins at the lower left, where a heretic (non-believer), dressed in orange, attacks Peter with a sword. Here the kneeling Peter shows his deep religious conviction by writing "credo" (I believe) in his own blood. Shown directly above is the attack on Peter's traveling companion, Dominic. At the lower right, the third vignette shows Peter as he lies dying from at stab wound. In both scenes he has a halo, indicating that he has earned the status of saint and martyr. A bishop, a monk, and an acolyte are shown in the background, outside a church, perhaps having just received the news of Peter's death.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1958.38 |
