St Peter in Penitence, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1645
etching, h 132mm × w 118mm More details
This old man is the apostle Peter. He is considered to have been the first pope, and the keys he holds refer to the heavenly gate. Perhaps he kneels here penitently owing to his remorse over having denied knowing Christ three times early on in the Saviour’s Passion. The etching lines are remarkably lightly bitten in the copperplate.
