An oil on canvas (below) by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Seville, 1617-82) which has recently been examined and published by Dr Benito Navarrate Prieto, and incorporated into the body of Murillo’s work, is a highlight of the next paintings auction at Ansorena, Madrid, on March 6-8.
During the Spanish Baroque period, the iconography of St Peter was widely depicted by artists and this is one of several such scenes completed by the deeply religious Murillo. The saint is shown praying while looking up to the sky after having denied Christ three times. His tearful face and evident pain have their origin in the representations of St Peter that emerged from the Council of Trent, serving as a reminder of the importance of repentance and penance for the salvation of sinners.