Saint Peter; Spanish School, 17th century

Saint Peter; Spanish School, 17th century
Carved, gilded, and polychrome wood
Base from a later period
Chips and losses in the paint layer
Measurements: 36 x 13 x 13 cm.

Sculpture depicting Saint Peter as the first Pope. The figure is dressed in pontifical vestments: over his tunic he wears a wide, gilded chasuble decorated with sgraffito floral motifs, a reddish pluvial, and a papal miter on his head. The left hand would originally have held a book or the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. The sculpture rests on a gilded wooden base from a later period.

In these devotional carvings, intended for altarpieces or private chapels, the focus was on the detailed gilding work that masterfully imitated the brocades and silks of the liturgical vestments of the time.