The Death of St. Peter Martyr
1530/35
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
115.3 × 141 cm (45 5/16 × 55 1/2 in.); Framed: 144.8 × 170.2 × 16.9 cm (57 × 67 × 6 5/8 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
158137
Art Historical Context
Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo’s *The Death of St. Peter Martyr* (1530/35) captures a pivotal moment from the life of the thirteenth-century Dominican friar and inquisitor Peter of Verona, who was by heretics while traveling near Milan. Painted in oil on canvas during the height of the Italian Renaissance, the work reflects Savoldo’s Venetian training and his interest in dramatic religious narratives. The large scale—over four feet high—would have encouraged close viewing, inviting worshippers and visitors to reflect on themes of faith, sacrifice, and divine justice. Savoldo, active in both Bresci...