Even though I still have not been granted an appropriate place to sleep, peace of mind, or food/restaurant money, I will write this. And, whoever has Paulie, Queen of Hearts, be aware!
Caravaggio’s The Denial of Saint Peter at The Met Museum in one of the museum’s European painting rooms in a stunning corner flocked by a portrait of an old woman by Orazio Borgianni and two more Caravaggios, The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and The Musicians, one of my teen years’ favorites. Saint Peter has the darkest lighting of the three with mostly the hands and face of Saint Peter, the face of a woman onlooker, and the back of one piece of an army guard’s jacket lit up. Peter is depicted here as extremely run-of-the-mill in countenance and body shape versus other paintings that might aggrandize his looks a bit. His body type makes him endearing here like a teddy bear or Santa Claus. His hand gestures toward his chest show him shrugging off Jesus in a softly romantic way. He does not seem defensive as one might think him to be in this scenario. The reticent, but attractive woman is pointing two fingers at Peter while looking at the guard. Her face is highlighted in such a way as to draw your attention to her good looks as well as her expression and role in the scene. Ironically, the guard’s soft posture and ornate and beautiful helmet garners sympathy for the side of Jesus’ persecutors – especially his regal red sleeve and entirely obscured, but visible finger pointing and Peter. The hand and finger lift the negative energy from Peter as a betrayer or turncoat because it is in soft focus and of a soft physical energy. It reopens compassion for Jesus leaving the viewer to come to his or her own conclusions and challenges him or her at his or her own peril.
If you look at the black tone of the guard’s hand you will note that the exact color promises in and of itself (along with the hand, of course) to banish and kill satan regardless of the outcome of the crucifixion. Other art historians have noted that the three pointing fingers, two from the woman and one from the guard, represent the three denials of Peter of knowing Jesus. The room behind them is indistinguishable, but looks warm and welcoming. The red of the guard’s sleeve juxtaposed with the blue of Peter’s jacket refers to the strong colors used by Titian and raises this biblical story to imply life in a parlour, palace, or wealthy boudoir. The “onyx” and gold filigree frame breathes air into the viewing room and matches the frames of the other two Caravaggios in the corner there. The most interesting detail of this painting besides the strong character of Peter’s face is the entirely black hand of the guard. Regarding the title of this article, I see imperialism or rape of a culture or group in the greater focus on the attractiveness of the guard and his outfit rather than any reference to Christianity. I see an interesting note on a healthy dose of female vanity in the brightly lit face of the attractive accusing woman the outfit and face of the guard, and even the design of Peter’s robes. I think that, however, in the end, this painting can be seen as heroically optimistic because of the almost chivalric expression on the guard’s face, the introverted compassion of Peter’s expression signaling possible regret, the softness of the pointing fingers, and the black hand of the guard that seems to have its own entity as a punisher or justice tool seeming almost removed from his body which says that even if the individual fails to nab the beast, the concept of pure justice will.
Seacrest out!