Description:
Philipe de Champaigne (1602-1674)
St Peter's Penitence
Oil on canvas
1730mm x 1280mm
Philippe de Champaigne was a leading 17th century religious and portrait painter. He studied in Brussels, before moving to Paris in 1621, where he worked alongside Nicholas Poussin on the decoration of a gallery in the Palais de Luxembourg under the direction of Nicolas Duchesne, whose daughter he later married. He shifted from a baroque style inspired by Rubens, to a more austere classical style, but his work retained a Flemish character throughout his career. Most of Philippe de Champaigne’s work has remained in France, although his work is represented in a number of national collections. The Penitence of St Peter was presented to Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum by Alderman Sidney Flavell and depicts the apostle Peter crouching in a rocky landscape. Before him lies a key, the traditional image used to represent his role as keeper of the kingdom of heaven. Above him a cockerel reminds us of his denial of Christ at the time of the crucifixion.