Tears of Saint Peter

This painting shows Saint Peter in prayer, his face turned upwards, with the tears that give the work its title. The subject draws attention to a gesture of quiet recollection and to the balance between the figure's emotional intensity and the restrained setting. The catalogue record dates it to 1592, although other references place it around 1595-1600, so its chronology remains somewhat uncertain.

Its authorship has been debated. Cossío, Mayer and Camón Aznar attribute it to El Greco, while Halldor Soehner believes it may be an autograph work that was repainted, or a good workshop piece. Harold Wethey considers it the best workshop treatment of this theme, but notes that its condition is poor and that it has been overpainted in several areas. This debate helps explain why many versions of the same subject survive, held in collections such as Barnard Castle, Oslo, Mexico City, Sitges, Washington and San Diego, some attributed to the master and others to his studio.

The signature, written in Greek letters and including the painter's name, is one of the features that links the work to his circle. Its documented owners include Taladriz of Valladolid and Benigno de la Vega Inclán of Toledo. Today it is kept in the El Greco Museum in the Castilian city.

The painting is of interest because it shows how El Greco's workshop repeated and reworked a theme using recognisable formulas, and how the material state of a canvas can shape how its authorship is read.

Painter

El Greco

Date

1592

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

109 × 88 cm

Museum

El Greco Museum, Toledo

Movement

Mannerism

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Saint Peter, prayer

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