Saint Peter
c. 1310
Medium
tempera on panel
Dimensions
painted surface (top of gilding): 61.5 × 34.5 cm (24 3/16 × 13 9/16 in.) painted surface (including painted border): 64.2 × 34.5 cm (25 1/4 × 13 9/16 in.) overall: 66.2 × 36.6 × 1 cm (26 1/16 × 14 7/16 × 3/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CIS-R
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Accession Number
1937.1.2.a
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
**Saint Peter**, painted around 1310 by the Italian artist Grifo di Tan, captures the revered apostle in a classic devotional portrait. This tempera-on-panel work, measuring about 64 x 34 cm within its painted border, exemplifies early 14th-century Italian religious art. Saint Peter, often depicted as the first pope holding keys to the kingdom of heaven, would have served as a focal point for prayer and contemplation in a church or private chapel. Tempera, a durable medium made from pigments bound with egg yolk and applied in thin, meticulous layers over a gesso-prepared panel, allowed for the luminous gold leaf background and vibrant colors typical of Gothic panel painting. This technique, prevalent in Italy during the Trecento, created jewel-like surfaces that glowed in candlelit settings, enhancing the spiritual aura of sacred figures like Peter. Acquired as part of the Andrew W. Mellon Collection and now housed in the National Gallery of Art's CIS-R department, this panel reflects the era's devotion to apostolic saints amid Italy's burgeoning artistic centers. Its precise dimensions and gilded framing underscore its role in altarpieces or processional art, inviting visitors to appreciate the craftsmanship bridging Byzantine influences and emerging Renaissance naturalism. (198 words)