Domine, Quo Vadis 1592 - 1664

Jacopo Vignali made this drawing, Domine, Quo Vadis, with pen, brown wash, and white gouache on paper. Vignali worked during the Baroque period, when the Catholic Church sought to reaffirm its spiritual authority through emotionally charged and dramatic art. This drawing illustrates a pivotal moment in the apocryphal Acts of Peter, when Saint Peter flees Rome to escape persecution. On his way, he encounters Christ walking towards the city. Peter asks, "Domine, quo vadis?" - "Lord, where are you going?". Christ responds that he is going to Rome to be crucified again, implying that Peter should face his own martyrdom. The drawing captures Peter kneeling in humility and repentance before Christ, who is depicted carrying the cross. Vignali masterfully conveys the emotional intensity of the encounter, as Peter is reminded of his duty and faith. The image encapsulates themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the personal struggle with religious conviction. The rawness of the medium enhances the intimate and deeply personal nature of faith.