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Notes

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Saint Peter fled Rome after Christ’s crucifixion, scared that he too would be executed by the Romans; here, he stands in shock as Christ passes him on the road. When Peter asked Christ where he was going – the question in this painting’s title – he replied that he was headed to Rome to be crucified again. Shamed, Peter turned back to face his own martyrdom. The incident is described in the Golden Legend, a thirteenth-century compilation of the lives of the saints.

This private devotional painting was almost certainly commissioned from Annibale Carracci by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, whose name-saint was Peter. In spite of the panel’s relatively small dimensions, its effect is highly monumental and the picture is characteristic of Carracci’s late, classical style.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Christ appearing to Saint Peter on the Appian Way (Domine, Quo Vadis?)

Date

1601-2

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 77.4 x W 56.3 cm

Accession number

NG9

Acquisition method

Bought, 1826

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.

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Artist or maker

Annibale Carracci

1560–1609

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