The Altarpiece of Saint Peter :: essays papers

The Altarpiece of Saint Peter Art is a window to the past and there is no place other than the many museums of the world where this is more strongly felt. More specifically, it is also seen through Martin de Soria's work, The Altarpiece of Saint Peter, which was completed around 1480. According to the panel near the altarpiece in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the piece is an enormous work of tempera on panel with parchment ground; it is a typical Spanish altarpiece of the medieval period and is comprised of a complex arrangement of twenty-six paintings. This piece was chosen as a representative of the medieval period because its emphasis is placed entirely on religion, the style with which it was painted and decorated is hugely characteristic of the medieval period, and finally the painting depicts the economic state of Europe as far as the church was concerned during that time. The piece was chosen primarily because of the magnificent presence that is felt as one enters the room, or cathedral, where the piece may be located. The viewer's eye is drawn immediately to the central figure of Saint Peter who was seated as pope at the time. Giving the main focus of the work to the pope is representative of the importance that was placed on the papal seat. This importance was exemplified, during the time of this altarpiece's creation, by the crisis of the Great Schism. Furthermore, a scene of Christ's crucifixion can be seen directly above the panel of Saint Peter further emphasizing the importance of Christ in the painting, and in the medieval time period as well. Overall, the piece depicts four images from the life of Saint Peter, which surround the center panel on the left and the right sides. In addition, scenes from the lives of the Virgin Mary and St. Blaise, a fourth century martyr, are also present. All the characters in the panels more or less have halos a nd therefore are holy figures. The twelve apostles line the bottom of the panels, perhaps suggesting that they were the foundation of the Catholic religion. Basically, the painting is designed for a church altar, it has religious figures in it, and it is filled with Bibles and images of Christ's crucifixion. All of this relays a strong message to the viewer that this is what is important in life; one should pay close attention to religion and have respect for it.