The Deliverance of St Peter from Prison 

Curator: Today, we’re examining “The Deliverance of St. Peter from Prison,” a drawing by Edward Burne-Jones. He worked with ink and colored pencils to bring this dramatic scene to life. Editor: My goodness, it’s rather dreamlike! It feels as if I’ve stumbled into someone’s fantastical, history-soaked vision. Everything has soft edges, an ethereal quality that feels utterly compelling. Curator: Absolutely. Burne-Jones situates himself within the Pre-Raphaelite movement which turned to Medieval and early Renaissance art for inspiration, focusing on narratives, intense colors, and complex compositions. This particular scene depicts the biblical story of St. Peter's miraculous escape. Think about the symbolism here: unjust imprisonment versus divine intervention and liberation. Editor: It strikes me how the artist focused more on atmosphere than precise detail. The sleeping guards are wonderfully oblivious to the angel guiding St. Peter—a divine intervention played out amid everyday indifference. I keep thinking about how the light in the work has a golden quality about it! Curator: That's a key element of Burne-Jones's style, that very warmth is what helps pull the viewer into that divine moment and separates the sacred from the mundane as St. Peter is guided away from the suffering around him. Editor: It gives the work such an affecting glow and truly highlights the ethereal feeling of the subjects. What’s particularly evocative is the angel’s guiding gesture toward St. Peter. Their robes and features blur into a hazy vision of divine intervention, giving the moment weight. Curator: I agree. Considering its focus on freedom and escape, this piece can open dialogue about oppression and resistance, offering a visual metaphor for breaking free from unjust systems. Editor: Yes, now seeing what freedom can entail and mean when escaping suppression, I love the work so much more! A lot to think about for such a still scene.