Art in Scripture: Peter’s Denial and Restorationಮಾದರಿ

The Denial of St. Peter, 1660
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN
The Denial of St Peter, 1660, Oil on canvas, 54 x 169 cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Purchased with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Opening Prayer:

O LORD, as we spend time with art and Scripture today, stir within us those longings which tie us to our awaited togetherness with You.

Open our minds to the evidence of our souls’ longings for You, that we may more deeply rejoice in the ultimate satisfaction You will be to these questions, curiosities, and desires.

Guide our eyes to connections between our hearts and minds and those of your children who penned Scripture millennia ago: the questions we ponder, confidence for which we grasp, and beauty we crave.

Thoughts for Reflection:

The scene above was painted by Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn at the end of the 17th century. Peter, in the foreground, is seen in conversation with those who have accused him of being with Jesus. His hand gestures out, showing not just a meek denial but a charismatic boldness that suggests any conviction Peter felt was long since pushed down. In addition to this chosen ignorance, commentator Clemena Antonova notes in The Visual Commentary on Scripture that “Rembrandt depicts not the denial itself, but the split second preceding Peter’s words. Jesus has turned in the direction of Peter, but is not yet looking at him (v.61). We are shown an action in the process of happening; invited into the moment of maximum tension just before the climax of the drama. Peter still has the choice of recanting and withdrawing his denial.” As you will read in Luke 22, Peter did not make the choice to withdraw but pressed forward in denying Christ and protecting himself.

What catches your eye or mind in this painting? Take some time to look over each of the figures. Does anything about Peter’s face or body language change your imaginings of this moment as described in Scripture? Does your empathy for his choice increase or decrease?

With this all in mind, the following passages will tell of Peter’s denial in Luke 22 and then the moment he sees Jesus again after His death and resurrection. Notice anything that has a different color to it after seeing Rembrandt van Rijn’s interpretation.