Saint Peter is a sixth-century encaustic icon depicting Saint Peter the Apostle, housed in Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, Egypt. It is one of the oldest surviving icons of Saint Peter.[1][2][3][4]
The apostle Peter "is shown holding the keys of the Kingdom in his right hand and in his left hand a staff surmounted by the [martyr's] cross."[5] He is depicted with a low forehead, thick, short hair and a short beard. Despite the apparent frontal view of the head, there is a slight turn of the body. Above the head of the apostle is a Deesis with the image of Christ, the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist. Their half-figures are enclosed in medallions.[6][7]
References
- 1."Age of Transition: Byzantine Culture in the Islamic World - The Metropolitan Museum of Art". Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2015. p. 87. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- 2."Saint Peter the Apostle · The Michigan-Princeton-Alexandria Expeditions to Mount Sinai · Expeditions to Sinai". www.sinaiarchive.org. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- 3.Finkel, Jori (2006-11-12). "After 15 Centuries, St. Peter Finally Leaves Home". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- 4.Wikipedia. "Saint Peter in Sinai". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- 5.Evans, Helen C. (2004). Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt: A Photographic Essay. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-58839-109-4. Archived from the original on 2025-06-21.
- 6.Sullivan, Alice Isabella (2022-03-11). "From Sinai to Kyiv: The Journey of Four Icons | SAPIENTIA". Sapientia- Fordham University. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- 7.Trilling (1983). Sinai Icons: Another Look. plate II, fig. 2.