Saint Peter Martyr Exorcizing a Woman Possessed by a Devil
c. 1450
Medium
Tempera on panel
Dimensions
54.8 × 35.5 cm (21 9/16 × 14 in.); Framed: 61.6 × 41.3 cm (24 1/4 × 16 1/4 in.)
Classification
tempera
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
100354
Art Historical Context
In the mid-15th century, Venetian painter Antonio Vivarini this striking *Saint Peter Martyr Exorcizing a Woman Possessed by Devil*, a tempera on panel measuring about 22 by 14 inches. Vivarini, a key figure in Venice's International Gothic style transitioning toward Renaissance naturalism, belonged to the prominent Vivarini workshop family. scene captures the Dominican saint—famed for his zealous preaching against heresy and his dramatic martyrdom—performing a miraculous exorcism, a popular motif in religious art that underscored the power of faith over evil. Painted around 1450, the work ex...