Finding of the bodies of Saints Peter and Paul
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
sheet: 11 3/4 x 8 1/8 in. (29.8 x 20.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1973
Accession Number
1973.500.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the etching *Finding of the Bodies of Peter and Paul* (ca. 1647–51), Giovanni Benedettoiglione, known as Il Grechetto captures a dramatic moment from early Christian legend: the discovery of the apostles' remains in ancient Rome. Created during the height of the Baroque era in Genoa, Italy, this print reflects the Counter-Reformation's fervor, emphasizing the saints' martyrdom and enduring legacy. Saint Peter, the rock of the Church, and Saint Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, were pivotal figures whose relics symbolized Rome's apostolic authority amid 17th-century religious tensions. Cas...
About the Artist
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Il Grechetto) · 1609–1664
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, known as Il Grechetto, was baptized on March 23, 1609, in Genoa and died on May 5, 1664, in Mantua. Born into a large family, he collaborated closely with his brother Salvatore, an artist who shared his talents, and later taught his son Francesco, whose works were sometimes confused with his own. His parents placed him in the studio of Giovanni Battista Paggi, where...