Petrus ontvangt de sleutels c. 1601 - 1634

Giovanni Battista Pasqualini created this print, entitled 'Peter Receives the Keys', sometime in the early 17th century. The image depicts a kneeling Saint Peter being handed the keys to heaven by Christ. This imagery was especially potent in Rome at that time, during the Counter-Reformation. The papacy used images like this to assert their authority over Christendom. The keys themselves are a visual metaphor for papal power, as it's believed that Christ gave the first Pope, Saint Peter, the keys to heaven. Prints like this one were widely circulated, helping to reinforce the social and institutional structures of the Catholic Church. The Baroque style of the image, with its dramatic lighting and dynamic composition, was meant to inspire awe and devotion in the viewer. The study of prints like this can tell us a lot about the cultural and religious landscape of early modern Europe. Art historians consult a variety of primary sources to better understand this period, including religious documents, personal letters, and inventories of print collections.