This is one of my favourite pictures in the Musée du Louvre.
This painting is titled, Saint Peter Crying Before the Virgin, also known as, The Tears of Saint Peter, painted by Baroque painter Guercino.
Context of this painting is Peter, he’s just denied Christ three times, and here he is now before His mother, the mother of God.
In terms of details, one of the subtleties that the eye has to really catch here is the way this single teardrop of Peter almost pops out of the canvas. And just look at the way the distress in his forehead is detailed here.
And if you look at his demeanor, his eyes, they’re almost downcast, almost ashamed to look up and face the mother of his blessed Lord.
But if we contrast that with Mary on the other hand. She’s got no tears.
My theory is this. Mary is our Mater Dolorosa. She is our Lady of Sorrows. She has been suffering all this while. She almost has no tears left.
But even with that, given the context of Peter having just betrayed her son, all you see is the way her eyes are gazing upon Peter. Full of mercy.
And all that comes to mind is that line from the Salve Regina.
Turn, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us.
And if you look at her hands, it’s almost like she’s already praying for Peter.
Yet another contrast this painting provides, Mary has got a halo. Peter does not. Fitting, given the context that Peter has just denied Christ three times, hasn’t quite earned his halo yet. It also highlights the perfection of Mary, in contrast to even the Vicar of Christ, who is still very much flawed and sinful.
Taking a step back, another detail you might notice is that they’re both dressed in very similar colours. With some subtle differences though.
Mary is dressed in a bright electric blue, very eye catching. Peter, on the other hand, is dressed in a much more dull, hidden blue.
As with the previous detail, this again highlights Mary’s radiance in contrast with even Peter, who is now essentially the most powerful man on earth, having been given the keys to the kingdom by Christ himself.
Furthermore, my interpretation of why Mary and Peter are dressed in similar colours is because of the unique relationship that Mary and Peter now share.
Peter is, after all, the rock upon which the Church is built. Mary being the mother of the Church, she is, in a very special way, his mother. Our mother.
Furthermore, Peter being the Vicar of Christ, the epitome of ‘In persona Christi’ and Mary being the mother of Christ. I think that makes the relationship between Peter and Mary even more unique, and having them dressed in similar colours further brings that out.
Another detail is in the lighting.
If you observe where the shadow side of the painting is, you’ll notice that the light is shining onto Mary, whereas Peter almost has his back turned against the light.
Now Peter’s obviously full of guilt and sorrow and repentance, as we all are.
But all he’s got to do is simply turn around and face the light.
And finally, if we just take a step back and take a look at the entire picture.
This is all of us, when we constantly betray and deny Christ every single day.
Way more than three times, millions of times over and over again.
And we come before his mother, sinful and sorrowful.
And she gazes upon us with her eyes of mercy. Praying for us.
Because we’re all Saint Peter.
Most of the time.
