Death of Saint Peter Martyr c. 17th century

Curator: Here we have an anonymous drawing, "Death of Saint Peter Martyr," housed at the Harvard Art Museums and rendered in ink. Quite dramatic, wouldn’t you say? Editor: It’s undeniably so—a raw, almost feverish energy conveyed through the stark contrasts and frenzied lines. The angel overhead is almost lost in the chaos. Curator: The artist has used the trees to frame the violence. See how they reach toward the angel above? And that angel almost seems to bless this awful scene. Editor: Right, the formal arrangement definitely echoes traditional martyrdom depictions, yet the immediacy and brutality are disquieting, forcing a very visceral response. Curator: I find it almost operatic. There’s a story here, a play of light and dark, literal and metaphorical. It feels so intimate, even in its violence. Editor: Yes, despite its subject, the artist draws us into a strange contemplation about faith and its consequences. What a paradox. Curator: It's a beautiful paradox, indeed. It makes you wonder about the artist's intentions and the stories they wished to tell. Editor: Agreed. It gives us pause, this glimpse into something so profoundly human—and so tragically divine.