Christ Giving The Keys To St. Peter Analysis

Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter is an Italian painting by Pietro Perugino. The painting was created between the years 1481-1482. The painting is a fresco and was painted inside one of the upper walls of the Sistine Chapel. In 1481 Pope Sixtus IV hired Pietro Perugino to paint a portrait in a series of Fresco’s painted inside the Sistine in Rome. Perugino’s painting became an archetypal example of early renaissance paintings as he was able to create 3D illusions within the scene. Perugino was able to do this via his composition, using intricate line work to create a near perfect ‘’one-point linear perspective’’ within the fresco. Perugino’s technique used a sequence of horizontal lines that divided the foreground from the background whilst
Peters) authority, which directly indicates why Pope Sixtus IV hired Pietro Perugino to paint this scene in one of the most notable buildings of the Vatican. Perugino painted Jesus Christ in the middle of the fresco where he is seen giving St. Peter ‘’the keys to kingdom of the heavens’’, while the apostles stand in groups behind them. The painting also features people in early renaissance fashion, witnessing the event from afar. It is understood that this scene was meant to illustrate the catholic doctrine of apostolic succession, where Jesus hands power to Peter, and henceforth the popes. The painting is a primeval representation of the importance of spiritual authority, and who God via his son Jesus Christ has ‘’chosen’’ to sustain power among the people of the