The Denial of Saint Peter

For this depiction of Peter denying that he is a follower of Jesus (seen under arrest in the background at right), Utrecht artist Hendrick ter Brugghen embraced the strong contrast of light and shadow and emotional urgency popularized by Italian painter Caravaggio. The dancing sparks of the fire illuminate the servant’s condemnatory finger and shroud the fearful saint in shadow, underlining the Dutch taste for naturalistic treatments of lighting in the 17th century.