Saint Peter, Oil on Cradled Panel, Circle of Andrea Mantegna (1431 - 1506)

Originates from: Italy

Era: Late 15th Century

Dimensions: 16.5” H x 12” W (artwork), 22” H x 16” W (frame)

Painted in the circle of important and influential Italian renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna (1431 - 1506) in the last quarter of the 15th century, this painting of Saint Peter holding the keys to Heaven is an incredibly impressive work. Although showing its age, this oil on panel expresses itself in it’s original state with all later overpaint removed, offering a remarkable look at how renaissance art is often altered in restoration throughout its life - showing faint and haunting reflections of heaven’s keys and a lost halo. 

Beyond the painting itself, the panel is held by the most incredible cradled bracing on the verso, a work of art in itself. 

Mantegna was an extremely influential artist, with his work inspiring notable artists like Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo Da Vinci, and a student of Mantegna’s, Corregio, whose master fresco lines the ceilings of the beautiful Cathedral of Parma.