Crucifixion of St. Peter
1600
Caravaggio skips the holy glow and gives us a gritty, sweaty construction site instead. St. Peter, who asked to be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die like Jesus, is being brutally hoisted up by three rough laborers. The painting is famous for its dramatic lighting and shocking realism—just look at the digger at the bottom, whose bare backside is thrust right into the viewer's face! It’s a masterpiece of the Baroque era that makes religious martyrdom feel incredibly heavy and human.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
- Dimensions
- 230 cm × 175 cm
Location: Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome