Saint Peter Martyr
c. 1450–60
Medium
Metal cut printed on paper
Dimensions
Plate: 261.7 × 185.5 cm (103 × 73 in.); Sheet: 279.4 × 190.5 cm (110 × 75 in.)
Classification
dotted/metal cut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
3675
Art Historical Context
Behold the monumental *Saint Peter Martyr*, a striking religious print from around 1450–60, created by an unknown artist and now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department. This depiction honors Saint Peter of Verona, a 13th-century Dominican friar famed for his zealous preaching against heresy and his dramatic martyrdom—often shown with a dagger embedded in his skull. Produced in the early Renaissance era, it reflects the era's deep devotion to saints as protectors and exemplars of faith, making such images popular for both personal devotion and public display in ...