Called young Raphael, Perugino was an Italian Renaissance artist who painted so amicably that his art has several references to the grand masters like Botticelli and Pollaiuolo. The figures of his composition are gentle, graceful, and modest, with the use of soft light and depict an unusual peace, which he achieved by balance. In his most famous and admirable painting, Delivery of the Keys, which is in the Sistine Chapel as part of the lower tier of frescoes, the viewer witnesses the absolute beauty of the composition, achieved through linear perspective, which frames the classical architecture in the painting and the divine balletic figures. It was this painting that made the artist popular in Italian art in the final decades of the fifteenth century. As a prolific painter, one of the noteworthy elements in his artistic space is the embedding of human figures into the vast realm of the space, which we see in this masterpiece as well. The limitless space, Renaissance motifs, complex drapery of male figures, and graceful and light-hearted gestures all show the influence of the Florentine paintings. This article is, thereby, a detailed analysis of the famous The Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter.
Today’s Book Recommendation.
The Other Dickens: A Life of Catherine Hogarth by Lillian Nayder.
The biggest scandal of the life of Charles Dickens, a prominent writer, was how he treated his wife, Catherine, a memoir of the life of a woman of the Victorian age. Being wrongfully alleged to be mentally sick, unfit, and unloved as a wife and mother, Catherine faced the heightened emotional vulnerabilities that were never written or published. After the letters by Edward Dutton Cook, which tell the exact atrocities of Dickens on his wife, this fictional masterpiece makes us rethink and create a perception of Dickens’s family drama, but more than that, it tells what it meant to be a woman in the Victorian age.
About the Renaissance Painter: Who Was Perugino?
Perugino, or Pietro Vannucci, was born in Perugino (his signature reads Petrus de Castro Plebis). Due to the lack of records of his exact birth date, we can only follow historians’ suggestions of the years he must have been born in, 1446 or 1447, at the Castello della Pieve. Coming to his family, we have two opinions: Vasari told us that he was a poor man, but at the same time, Mariotti reminds us that his family was not that low in income, as they had enjoyed citizenship rights since 1427. Perugino’s work during his early career shows the same art techniques as Niccolò da Foligno or Niccolò Alunno, his first master. Now let me emphasize the importance of his mastery to understand the art form of Perugino. Niccolò was the originator of the school of Umbrian painters, which carried a special place in Perugino’s work thereafter. He was the pupil of Benozzo Gozzoli, but when it comes to displaying emotions such as rage, sweetness, and harmony, Niccolò lagged behind, as he was a fiercer spirit with a dash of uncompromising realism. So in the early works of Perugino, you will see self-contained and learned solemnity religious expressions on the figures instead of any other emotion like jealousy, passion, rage, scorn, or amazement. However, most of his early works are lost, which is why his later artworks are intensively studied.
With the second master, Bonfigli, Perugino learned the illustrations, records, and details full of figures with single faces or groups. Like Umbrian art, his artwork is notable for its treatment of the landscape in a unique way. For example, you will see that his landscapes include distant hills, single trees, vast arches of blue sky, and other frames in the lovely scenes. He got this from another of the finest artists, Fiorenzo di Lorenzo. So briefly, in his early days, it was the influence of Niccolò Liberatore, Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, and Piero della Francesca that he attributed to for greater heights in his art career.
It was the accuracy of perspective that made Piero’s art so famous. His finest work, for instance, was to display mystifying hollows, perfectly shaped roofs, and rooms.
History and Background of Perugino’s Artwork.
Delivery of the Keys has a theatrical setting with the presence of vast space. Having classical references through the two arches that copy the Arch of Constantine and the small temple at the center of the work in a modern style, this composition was commissioned to be painted as a cycle of frescoes on the Sistine Chapel of Rome by Pope Sixtus IV. The composition is a remarkable example of force and power simultaneously.
The reason behind this commission was that the artist achieved great success after his paintings like the Nativity of Christ and the Dead Christ with Saint John and the Madonna. The story behind the artwork emphasizes the message of Petrine authority, where Sixtus wanted to include the supreme buildings of the Vatican with biblical passages. Hence, when Perugino was given the subject matter of the scene from Matthew 16:13-19, the end result was an example of the Early Renaissance period, where the flatness of the two-dimensional surfaces was less to make the figures appear three-dimensional. Thereby, there is use of aerial perspective to anchor the scene realistically in three dimensions, though it is painted in 2-D.
| Artist | Pietro Vannucci or Pietro Perugino or Petrus de Castro Plebis |
| Year Painted | c. 1471-84 |
| Type | Fresco |
| Period | Historical Religious Painting |
| Genre | Renaissance |
| Dimensions | 330 x 550 cm |
| Worth | Not on sale |
| Where is it housed? | Sistine Chapel, Vatican city |
Understanding the Painting’s Meaning.
Delivery of the Keys is based on a biblical passage, which states;
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
In brief, it simply portrays Christ delivering the keys of the kingdom to Saint Peter, which frames the spiritual authority. It also signifies the apostolic succession by which Christ handed power to Saint Peter and then to the popes.
Further, it needs to be noted that the two keys, Gold and Silver, handed by Christ represent spiritual authority, i.e., the power to bind and loose in heaven, and temporal authority, i.e., the power to bind and loose on earth, respectively.
Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter Analysis.
Perugino’s The Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter offers a great deal of information about Umbrian art and the Florentine painting of the time. Among the six frescoes he composed in the Sistine Chapel, only three of them survive, including this composition.
Mr. Berenson defines the artwork as
“intrinsically religious art”
and capable of
“communicating the religious emotion.”
and able to
“awaken in those who looked at the pictures a consciousness of preference of a life holy and refined.”
The entire painting produces a sense of vastness and spaciousness with an open and broad air environment that transports a viewer directly to the sight of heaven through the blue arches of the sky and free air enclosure.
In addition, Perugino’s the delivery of the keys to Saint Peter offers a great deal of information about Umbrian art, so it is crucial to become familiar with it quickly. You do not need to byheart the entire history, instead, I am describing it in two words, space composition. Now you know about the ordinary compositions, but space composition is somehow different in the first place as it directly gives you a hint on extending an inward depth to show the image in three dimensions and not in two. It simply means that you have shown the picture in a cube and not on a surface. Let me now take you to the analysis of the artwork.
Mr. Berenson defines the artwork as
“intrinsically religious art”
and capable of
“communicating the religious emotion”
and able to
“awaken in those who looked at the pictures a consciousness of preference of a life holy and refined.”
The entire painting produces a sense of vastness and spaciousness with an open and broad air environment that narrates a viewer directly to the sight of heaven through the blue arches of the sky and free air enclosure.
Background Scene.
n the foreground, there are majestic and dignified figures with different postures but with similar expressions (all religious). As our sight moves to the backdrop, the distance makes the figures appear shorter, which is because of the perspective of the painting. In the center of the composition, a giant and majestic temple is standing under the influence of disappearing horizons and everlasting hills. It further indicates the Umbrian landscape. There is a wise use of the color blue haze in the foreground to make the viewer experience absolute calmness. The painting displays that the populace of a country is not limited by space, so each mass has a circulation of open-air charm, which further makes it clear that there is no sense of crowding. All you see is the soothing quiet and stillness through figures; even though their faces are not clear, it is still indicated by the fine thread of connection of their common interest. Although distant from Christ and his apostles, the foreground people are linked with them through Christ’s connection with the foundation of his Church.
Through the contours of the hills and valleys, there are tiny dots in the form of fortified towns, looking down on their neighbors. There are great white winding roads, single trees through blue sky accents, and the golden glare of sunlight battling the intervening space of green grass of the fields. No one can take away the charm of the foreground in the composition. Though the temple and middle distance in the composition are Umbrian, the noble figures grouped upon the front plane have several dominant influences of great Florentines, Masaccio, and even Domenico Ghirlandaio.
Left Side of the Composition.
There are eight figures on the left side of the composition, showcasing the rear side of Christ. A golden ring surrounds each of their heads, symbolizing their spiritual dominance. There is a sense of connectivity between the figures through their glances and conversations, as in a mass, despite the absence of detailed emotion. There is a story narration through them using the gestures of their hands. The apostles in the painting take inspiration from Verrocchio’s statues of Christ and Doubting Thomas. Furthermore, they are grand and venerable men. With weighty outer cloaks that drape around their lower body with heavier folds, they tilt their heads and hold an expressive hand similar to Verrocchio’s statues.
Right Side of the Composition.
There are eleven figures on the right side of the painting, and each of them has similar connectivity, attire, story, emotions, and vastness between them.
Christ and Saint Peter.
Wearing a long robe draped in a blue cloth, the composition depicts Christ giving keys to Saint Peter and thereby handing over the responsibility. His golden brown hair and the incidence of his eyes convey love in his gesture. The kneeling of St. Peter is out of respect towards the Son of God. His one hand takes over the key, whereas another one rests over his chest. His large yellow robe with smooth texture and lines shows his exquisite drapery effect.
Color Analysis of the Painting.
There are shades of blue and yellow, which particularly dominate the entire composition. The grey color in the monument exemplifies the natural beauty even more. When you notice the green grass area, the small spaces in the structures, or even the robes of the several apostles, you will find the shade of yellow, exemplifying their importance. Further, there is the use of red, violet, and black colors too in the composition, with the white being almost not so neglected.
Final Words.
When you look at Delivery of the Keys, the first attention is taken by the keys and the central figure, further carried from the central group to the distant temple with its roomy porticoes. In my opinion, though it has Umbrian elements and it gives a view of the Florentine Renaissance, it is extraordinary in terms of form, perspective, and balance. There is a sublime peace in the painting achieved through the vastness of space. However, I find that the expressions of nobles in the composition are unusually spiritual rather than humanist. The overall painting somehow feels poetic and fantastic, with a wonderful landscape behind.
Resources.
- Featured Image: The Delivery of the Keys by Pietro Perugino; Pietro Perugino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Pietro Perugino: Master of the Italian Renaissance by Joseph Antenucci Becherer.
- Pietro Vannucci, called Perugino: Enriched edition. Exploring the Innovative Style of an Italian Renaissance Master by George Charles Williamson.
- Perugino by Selwyn Brinton.
Frequently Asked Questions.
The two keys represent the spiritual authority and temporal authority that Jesus passed on to Saint Peter.
The Delivery of the Keys by Pietro Perugino is one of the many frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. The artwork exhibits the use of linear perspective and the artist’s drapery effect and portrays a biblical incident of Christ handing the keys of the kingdom to Saint Peter.
Perugino depicted one-point perspective in The Delivery of the Keys by portraying people getting shorter with the increasing distance, the use of the color blue haze, and the fading of the landscape in the ultimate background. Additionally, the portraiture of paneled flooring as well as the buildings in the background plays a crucial role in perspective on the artwork.
The Delivery of the Keys by Pietro Perugino depicts a biblical incident of Christ handing the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Saint Peter.
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